Persona 3: Crimson Wings
by Chiaki Yumi
Summary: What if she finds herself back in the beginning, with a new role...? Now hiding behind a mask, her memories still intact, & ultimate Personas at hand, she won't stop until she obtains her ending. However, Shadows are the least of her problems; encounters new and old, add in a sister-obsessed brother she never knew she had to the picture- how will she fare this time around?
1. Prologue: It Begins Again

It was a dream like any other...**  
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Her long, straight, golden hair flowed with the wind of the dark-green night as she stood above the monstrous tower. People screamed and cried, panicked and fell, but all she could do was watch behind the bright-crimson butterfly-shaped mask. It only covered half of her face, though it was enough to mask whatever emotion she portrayed. No one could read her thoughts.

No.

It was not because she masked it... but because... there was no one to read it in the first place.

She was alone.

She chose to be alone.

A single wing.

_"Is this the path you wish to take?"_

**Prologue : And so... It Begins... Again**

*huff*

*huff*

Her auburn hair was tied to the back, swayed back and forth as she continued running, her barrettes shimmered under the light of the mucous colored moon while her red headphones dangled and swung around her neck, as she took her every step. She was breathing heavily while trudging through the darkest corners of the street. The lights were out, in fact, there was no electricity, and yet, it seemed as though the buildings were dimly lit. The girl stepped into puddles of red liquid as she passed by several eerie coffins along the way. It felt like it was a distant memory, and yet, it was engraved upon her very soul. She knew every corner, twist and turns of the city.

It was a huge breath of nostalgia.

_'Tch... I have to get to the bottom of this!' _the female clicked her tongue in frustration after running in zigzags. She was tired and confused, and considering all the time she had lost, she felt rather annoyed. _'This was the day Pharos appeared... The day I'm supposed to arrive! I'm late...!'_

Finally, it came to her sight. The ever-so familiar dorms she used to live in. Something was different in this scene the way she remembered... The door was open and someone was standing in front... the exact same spot she once stood.

A boy.

It was a blue-haired boy.

* * *

><p><strong>So, here's the redone version of the prologue XD<br>**

**To those who have read the original, notice the changes? XP  
><strong>

****ANYWAY... If you're wondering what this fic is all about... skip to Chapter 6 and just check out the summary at the beginning to have a better idea of the story... you can't miss it~ ;)****

********-Persona 3 and any SMT series does not belong to me-********


	2. Chapter 1: Twin Memories

_"I promise..."_

Those words sounded so familiar... and yet distant...

How?

...When?  
>Why did all of this happen...?<p>

Perhaps... it was also where it ended...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: Twin Memories<br>**

_'__Mmn... I feel... strange..._

_This breeze... it's something I haven't felt for a long time... _

_Why...? _

_How long has it been anyway?'  
><em>

The girl slowly opened her bright red eyes as the figure of the moon above, together with the dark sky slowly registered in her mind._ 'Ugh... What's...?' _She shielded her eyes from the light with her hand, closing them and slowly breathed in the cool air. It was a peaceful night. Insects were chirping, while the wind blew softly as it whispered to her ears and touched her pale, white skin. It was quite cold, and yet, she felt a strange warmth within her. She attempted to utter a sound, but a strange bitterness lingered inside her mouth as if she hadn't opened it for years. It was a strange sensation... Her senses were quite dull, and yet she could taste, feel, see, hear and smell ... Was it a sign of life?

_'Life, huh? _

_wait... _

_I'M ALIVE?!__'_

The young woman suddenly shot up from the bench she laid on. It was a familiar place, white tilings, beautiful island views... Yes, it was an open space, the rooftop of Gekkoukan High to be exact. The same place where she spent her final moments with her friends... The girl blinked twice, rubbed her eyes, and roughly massaged her forehead with both of her hands. Pulling back her reddish-brown bangs, her calm-demeanor immediately turned into confusion. She shifted her view from the sky to the city below.

'_Shouldn't I be... dead...?' _For a moment she paused at the thought and shook her head. _'That sounded wrong... Though... Ah! Right!' _

The girl stood up, unfortunately, her knees immediately weakened causing her to topple down. She grunted and attempted to stand again, but to no avail. Her body felt strangely numb, and yet, she had no wounds, scars or anything of the like. In fact... she had no recollection of how she got there. After several attempts, she tried to stand again, this time, she supported herself by holding on to the bench. Her knees were shaking as if she hasn't moved for years. Speaking of which, could it be possible that years have passed and somehow, she was just released from her duty? Then again, everything looked the way it used to be. She was even wearing her uniform.

Those were her thoughts before finally reaching the bottom of the stairs. She was now in the corridors. The girl steadily moved away from the wall which supported her. For a moment, she swayed around before finally being able to keep her balance. She smiled in her victory.

"Yes!" She shouted in accomplishment. In a split second, she began racing through the familiar hallway. The potted plants, the windows, even the cracks in the walls were all so nostalgic. This can't possibly be the far off in the future. After reaching a turning point, she stopped in front of a door and took a deep breath. The girl locked her sight on the sign on top – 2-F.

As expected, there was no one inside. Just an ordinary, neat, classroom. In fact, it doesn't seem like anyone had been inside for some time. She walked around, touching some of the tables and chairs, reminiscing all her experiences during her final year.

"Who's there?" A voice called out from the classroom's door. The red-eyed girl turned around at the familiar voice. It was a woman who looked like she was around her 20's. Her hair was short with a light shade of brown and she had charcoal-black eyes.

"M-ms. Toriumi?" She gasped in surprise after seeing her adviser. "She looks young..." The girl muttered under her breath as she blankly stared at the adult. The teacher indeed looked young, so that means, it really wasn't the future. Maybe just a few years or months had passed...? Though... It could be possible that humans had discovered eternal youth potions. But what if she's just an evil twin? Or the clichéd great grand daughter or relative who happened to look like a Ms. Toriumi clone... As those thoughts clouded the girl's mind, the adult smiled and began to speak.

"Ah. You must be the new student. I've seen your picture, Minako Arisato. Am I correct?" The girl snapped out of her wild imaginations and mindlessly nodded, slowly approaching the teacher. She wanted to clear things out. Not that she'd expect much from the woman, but it _might _just put light into things. "You must have been the cause of the disturbance earlier..." she added with a sigh. Minako tilted her head and finally shrugged.

The adult pulled her hand, leading her to a familiar path – the faculty room. "It's too late for you to come to school. The opening ceremony is still for tomorrow, so I assume you're here for clarifications on requirements and such, yes? You were lucky I stayed in for tomorrow's preparations. I was just about to close up too..." Ms. Toriumi spoke without once glancing back to her.

_'Clarifications is what I need alright...'_ She simply nodded. It's best to get on with the flow.

* * *

><p><em>'I'm glad I'm not here for detention though... But Junpei's the one who's more prone to that' <em>The girl chuckled at the thought as she waited for her teacher to return. The adult was rummaging through her drawers filled with documents. Lots of them. Some of the papers filed in were old test answers, others were student records, while some were confiscated doodles.

"Ah, here it is. Minako Arisato... 11th grade correct...? Wow... You've been to a lot of places..."

_'… Wow ... This feels... Creepily familiar...' _Minako thought as she rubbed her arms as if feeling cold, despite the warm uniform. It was as if a chill suddenly ran down her spine.

"Let's see... In 1999... That was what, ten years ago..." At those words Minako began processing her mind. She didn't even bother listening to the rest of her teacher's words.

'_10 years ago means... It's... 2009...? But that means...!' _

"... two, welcome to our school"

"What date is it?" Those words gave the teacher a puzzled look. It felt quite off, considering their conversation was about welcoming and all, but now was not the time to think about that. After all, didn't she just... Die...?

"6th of April... Is there something wrong?" The teacher raised an eyebrow at the troubled girl.

"...2009...?" She gulped, her bright-red eyes widened at the suspense her teacher was putting her in.

"Why yes. It is..." Those words shook the red-eyed girl, she almost collapsed if not for the teacher who caught her.

"Are you alright? Should I call the doctor?" the teacher furrowed her brows in worry.

"N-no thanks... I'm fine" Minako smiled. She looked pale indeed, but it wasn't because of a headache or anything of such... To think that it was April 6th... 2009 no less... It was the past. She's not a ghost is she? Not a dream? It all felt so real...

"Are you sure?" The teacher added. The girl just nodded and waved at the teacher, expressing her gratitude before leaving the school building. The Dark Hour... Tartarus... Shadows... S.E.E.S... They were not just part of a crazy dream right?

* * *

><p><em>'Cool your head Minako~! FOCUS!' <em>She continuously slapped her face which almost became as red as her eyes. People stared at her while she hurt herself. Some guys blushed, others shrugged, but Minako didn't care. She was always a carefree-type to begin with. The girl brushed her auburn hair with her hand trying to figure things out, gather the facts and understand the situation.

"Alright... let's get this all together... Fact one. It's 6th of April 2009. Ms. Toriumi might be wrong... But she has no reason to lie or anything..." She sighed at the thought._ 'I can't possibly be in some sort of time loop caused by a demon who wants to prevent my death right...? That's too bizarre...' _She sighed again feeling hopeless.

_tick... tick... tick..._

A sudden sensation of fear crawled upon her body. The pools of blood, the sickly colored moon, and most of all the coffins which wreak the smell of death...

_'W-what is thi-! T-then... It must really be 6__th__ of April... t-that means I should...' _She stood in the middle of the road in shock.

It was already late, the dormitory was quite far from where Minako was. Plus, running around school tired her out. She glanced at her watch to see the time. 12:00AM, and it stopped moving from there. It really was the Dark Hour she's experiencing, no doubt, but wasn't the Dark Hour vanquished along with the sealing of Nyx...? Then again, the so-called 'Great Seal' was walking around the city, was laying around in school and was standing right there. The girl clenched her fist and ran back to the dorms as fast as she can to get to the bottom of things.

* * *

><p><strong>406/09-Monday**, **Dark Hour...?**

Finally, it came to her sight. The ever-so familiar dorms she used to live in. Something was different in this scene, the door was open and someone was standing in front. Strange. For some reason, it felt like she should be the one standing there that very night... No... She should be the one standing in that place. Well, either way, she'd figure it out once she get there. Just a little more and she'd make it...

That was until the Dark Hour suddenly ended.

Everything returned to how it was, the moon, the skies and the people, they all reverted back to their original states.

The young woman slowed down, seeing that it couldn't possibly change anything. Upon reaching the door, she saw him. He was the one who stood in the same spot she used to when she first arrived. He had dark blue hair and was wearing the usual Gekkoukan High uniform for males. She could tell even though all she could see was his back.

"Uh... What's happening...?" She uttered behind the boy mindlessly. He turned around revealing calm silver eyes which was almost covered up by his bangs. Silver headphones, the same model as hers, rested around his neck. The two of them stared at each other without speaking...

...

_'What is the meaning of this...?' _she thought, however, before the girl could speak of another word, the boy suddenly wrapped his arms around her.

"H-hey...!" she blushed from the turn of events.

The female was sure she didn't know him, yet she felt at ease in his presence, and because of this, the peculiar situation continued on for some time before she realized what he just did. The auburn-haired girl pushed him away, it wasn't strong, but it was enough to make him back off. As he stepped back a little further, he saw that she was left flustered.

"Sorry... I couldn't help myself..." He looked straight at her with a sorry expression. The young woman was left speechless. A random guy suddenly hugged her. That was the only thing buzzing on her mind.

"Um... Excuse me... You know each other?" With that, the girl snapped back to her senses. She peeked behind him to see who spoke, although she had an idea who it was, since it was a familiar voice. There were two of them standing there. The one who spoke had short brown hair, and an even darker eyes. She was wearing the usual pink sweater and for some reason, her black miniskirt which she wears for school. The other one seemed like an elegant and mature young lady. She had long, red, hair which almost covered her right eye, and just like the first girl, she was also wearing her school outfit.

_'Yukari and... Mitsuru-Senpai!' _She smiled in delight. The girl was about to step in front when she stopped herself. She mustn't do anything reckless... It would be better to understand the whole situation first. Before the confused teenager was given a chance to speak, the boy cut in and opened up his mouth first.

"She's Minako. My twin." he answered with a gentle smile.

"Twin? Oh, so you arrived together?" The brown haired girl asked curiously.

"No. We were separated after our parents died. We just re-united today" He answered with a rather straight face.

Minako was dumbfounded. She had a brother? And a twin at that... They don't even resemble each other! At least that was what she thought.

"Ah. So you were the other one? Well, this is quite a surprise" The red head smiled as she examined the new arrival. "This was really a last minute decision, just as what I was telling your brother here" She paused to turn to the blue-haired boy who was rather indifferent. "Again, my name is Mitsuru Kirijo and I'm one of the students living here"

Yukari smiled, although she was rather hesitant at the boy's story. He seemed rather sure that Minako was his sister, considering the fact that they had just re-united. Plus, Minako looked the most surprised.

"Hi, I'm Yukari Takeba" She stared at the auburn-haired girl suspiciously, to which Minako just smiled.

"Just as what I was saying..." Mitsuru spoke, breaking the silence. "You should tuck in for the night" She turned to Yukari who signaled them to follow her.

* * *

><p>Tension filled the air as Yukari led them to our respective rooms, with Minako glancing at the boy from time to time. The hallway was well lit, unlike during the Dark Hour where everything appeared like it came out of a horror movie.<p>

_'Is he really my brother...? But...' _As the girl contemplated on the situation, the boy suddenly turned to her.

"Keep this..." He whispered, shoving something in her hand. Her face flushed, which made her turn away from the boy.

_'W-what's happening to me...?' _She shook her head, trying to figure him out.

"Well... This is your room. Pretty easy to remember huh? Since it's at the end of the hall" These words shook her back to reality. In front of them was a door. Well, almost every door looked the same anyway. Yukari gave her a quick glance before turning back to the silver-eyed boy. "So, any questions?"

"I signed a contract..." the boy spoke. Minako turned to him with a pale face.

_'Don't tell me he's...?' _Yukari and her 'brother' noticed her sudden reaction, and after noticing their reaction on her reaction, she immediately shook her head and flung her arms.

"A-ah... D-don't mind me! Carry on..." Minako forced a smiled.

"Okaay... Well... In any case, I don't really know what you're talking about... Sorry..." Yukari answered.

The boy just retained his expressionless face. He hesitated to enter his room, turning to Minako, staring at her before he finally disappeared inside his room. She glanced at the hallway before continuing.

"On your way here, was everything okay?" The girl asked, her brown eyes locked on to the auburn-haired girl. Minako shook her head. It was quite true, since the Dark Hour was kind of a no biggie anymore, though, this time, it was wrong for a different reason. It's not supposed to exist anymore, just like Minako herself.

"... Never mind. It seems like you're alright"

"Um... Do you know his name?" Her red-eyes widened, waiting for the answer in anticipation.

"... You two have a complicated relationship huh? Anyway, he said he's Minato Arisato. I think you should clear everything up in the morning" Yukari left for her room after waving good-bye.

"... Just what the hell is happening here?" Minako muttered under her breath as she watched her companion's back disappear in the dark... It was one hell of a night indeed.

* * *

><p><strong>407/09-Tuesday**

"... And that's all that happened. Then that 'Minato' showed up then..." she said to herself while sitting on top of her bed with her legs crossed together. Minako paused for a moment and thought back. Finally, she groaned and scratched her head in frustration which somehow messed up her hair. She sighed and dropped her head on the pillow. "None of this makes sense!" she roared.

The girl turned, shifted her lying position, and yet, she still couldn't sleep. The pillow was soft and fluffy, the mattress was as good. Not too soft, not too hard, just right. The bed had a checkered pink blanket which was right beside the window. There was also a rather large television in the room and close to it was the desk where Minako usually slaved away to study. Beside the bed was a small drawer. There lamp and her trusty alarm clock was sat there innocently.

She examined the round object which was resting on her hand. It was the trinket her so-called 'brother' gave to her earlier, a golden locket about twice the size of a thumb. It was rather simple, just had a butterfly carved in front and that's it. She opened it revealing a family picture. It was taken in a park, at least that's what it looked like. On the left was a handsome, tall man bearing ruby-red eyes. He had blue hair the shade like Minato's. Beside him was a woman with long, reddish-brown hair and beautiful silver eyes. She was holding the hand of a child with auburn hair. She seemed happy. Of course, Minako should know, after all, that girl was her. She doesn't remember that though, but deep inside, she knew it happened. The girl sighed turning to the final figure in the picture. The little girl had her left arm wrapped around a boy's arm. He had blue hair and silver eyes. He resembled 'Minato' very much. No... He was surely him. A blue-haired, silver-eyed boy was not so common after all. The only different thing, other than 'age appearance' was the child's expression. He actually freely showed his emotions. It was evident in that single picture.

She sighed again and closed it, pulling it close to her chest. _'I don't remember... I really don't remember him...' _She shifted her position again and placed the small trinket beside the lamp._ '... My memories ARE fuzzy... Especially those before mom and dad's death...' _She closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep...

* * *

><p><strong>I know this went on a hiatus cause I wanted to finish the whole story first... but I just can't do it T^T<strong>

**Honestly, I wasn't expecting to be so busy during the term... and even on my holidays...**

**Though I did manage to sort out ideas on what happens and stuff (which btw made me realize this will have to run for more than 50 chapters), and I was also able to make quite a number of stock chapters ;D *cough*not to mention the ending chaps*cough*  
><strong>

**So, I guess my only problems now will be the execution of stuff, school work, distractions and getting my lazy ass on FF docs XD  
><strong>

**Oh, and look~ I made myself a new book cover too~  
><strong>

**I wanted to commission someone at DA at first, but since I don't have any points, I can't, so you'll have to put up with this one I made ^^"  
><strong>

********Anyway... to those still wondering why I deleted the old chapters... well... my files were a mess and I got confused, so I had to clean up everything...********

******** Plus, I changed and added some (perhaps unnoticeable) stuff in the story... so... the easiest way was to start from scratch... sorry about that ^^"  
><strong>******

********You can skip the chapters you've already seen though... I guess... XD********

******(P.S. to those following this story... sorry for the spam in your mailbox ^^")  
><strong>****

********-Persona 3 or any SMT series does not belong to me-********


	3. Chapter 2: Contracts

**Chapter 2: Contracts**

**4/07/09-Tuesday  
><strong>

"So what you're saying is... I'm your twin sister, we were separated after the accident, and you transferred here after hearing that I'm moving here?"

"Yes"

"And you expect me to believe that? "

"Yes"

"Is that all you can say...?"

"Yes"

The girl sighed at his answer/s(...?)._ 'Was he really serious? He answered everything with such a calm, expressionless face!'_

She bit the buttered toast and ran toward the door.

It was a seemingly ordinary morning. Bright, clear skies, warm sun, cool air, nothing out of the ordinary. One can really tell that a new school year had just begun. There were a lot of students on their way to school, with many of them talking about their vacation escapades or the teachers they're going to have... though mostly, the students were simply hyped about seeing old friends and new faces.

"But I don't remember having a brother!" She continued, after biting off another piece.

The two were on their way out of the dorm, with Yukari waiting just outside. She was tasked to guide the transferees on their first day. Not that Minako would need it, but she had to move on with the flow just to avoid any further suspicion.

"I wasn't expecting you to remember immediately anyway. Mom and D-" He paused and shook his head and turned to her. "Their death was a shock. It must have caused some sort of trauma..." there was a strange tone in his voice, as if he was holding something back.

Minako eyed him suspiciously. He didn't seem to be lying... and there's no reason to lie to her about it, or at least, she couldn't think of any as of now. Though there was something about him... as if he was hiding something...? Then again, she might just be over-thinking it... finally, she shook her head, sighed and stopped on her tracks that Minato got past her. He turned back to the girl with a surprisingly worried look. The girl merely shrugged before opening her mouth.

"... Oh well... I don't think the picture lies... might as well get along with it..." She said in an uncaring tone, though it had an evident hint of embarrassment. "B-but don't think I believe you 100%!" she added.

"Yeah... Take your time..." Minato grinned, hearing her words. It was a rather strange smile... For some reason, it seemed forced, at the same time, sad... The female couldn't help but think about it...

* * *

><p>That morning, Yukari showed them the way to school and gave them instructions before leaving them together.<p>

Minako wanted to part with her so-called twin and head for the opening ceremony all by herself, but he insisted on being with her and pulled her with him to the faculty. Yet again, it was another dejavu with Ms. Toriumi. Her conversation Minato that is. It sounded so identical to Minako's. One would think that the teacher's line in welcoming transferees was scripted. Minus the part of their history, of course, since she had read it beforehand and she remembered Minako this time, apparently, during their previous encounter, she mentioned:  
><em>"Oh... And your twin is staying here too! Well then... I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach Composition. This message is for you two, <em>_welcome to our school__ "  
><em>

One thing seemed certain in this 'time line' (or whatever you call it)– they're really twins.

According to the records, or at least, Ms. Toriumi, Minako was taken in by her aunt (mother side), while her brother was taken in by their uncle (father side) after the incident in the Moonlight Bridge. They had to be separated due to financial issues... at least that was what she was told.

After their visit to the faculty room, the twins immediately went straight to the opening ceremony. Both of them slept through through the whole thing... after all Minako didn't have any sleep that night. As for Minato, he was just... being himself. His expression had always been blank and difficult to read, and his eyes always showed boredom or sleepiness. It was as if he always had difficulty sleeping at night. Most of the time, when he's actually not asleep, he would listen to music from his mp3. He also rarely talks, and when he does, he'd only utter a few words...

* * *

><p>"Sup', dudes!"<p>

Minako beamed at the sight of another familiar face. It was her cap-wearing 'best bud'. Minato, on the other hand, retained his poker face, though for a moment, the girl could've sworn his eyes twitched... The two of them were sitting beside each other on their respective seats when this boy appeared out of nowhere.

"Haha, you two look like deers in headlights!"he chuckled.

Minato kept quite. Minako stared at him, feeling both happy and creeped out. Happy for seeing that guy again and creeped out for another dejavu moment. Shaking her head, she decided to speak up.

"I'm Minako Arisato~" she smiled.

"You've got a quiet friend here don'tcha'?" he gave the blue-haired boy a quick glance, "I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya" he continued, with his gaze still on the twins.

Minato glared at him in return. "She is my sister. I'm her brother. Don't go after her" he stood up and pulled the girl to his side, wrapping one arm around her shoulder. Minako blushed, but didn't make any attempt to pull away.

"Whoa! Seriously? You two are like... polar opposites! You look nothing alike!" Junpei exclaimed in surprise, continuously shifting his gaze from one to the other. Minako finally shook away from Minato and brushed up her auburn hair.

"I'm sorry for his behavior. His name is Minato by the way" she scratched her head, looking apologetic for what her 'twin' had done. "To be honest, I'm still shocked after finding out I have a brother" She added, turning to Minato who was still glaring at Junpei. The glare this time however, didn't seem that of anger, but... something else. Again, it was difficult to tell, coming from the strange blue-haired teen.

"Chill man... I won't go after her... I was bein' friendly..." Junpei finally answered, looking rather pitiful. Minato finally let go of his icy stare, but his eyes were still locked on him, as if a predator eyeing on its prey...

* * *

><p>"A brother huh? I guess having one is not so bad" she muttered to herself, burying her face on the pillow. The girl smiled as she reminisced everything she had done that day, meeting Junpei, chatting with Yukari, eating with Minato... they were simple moments, and yet, she treasured them. She was alive. More than anyone else, it was her who knew how precious life was, she had died once after all, and she had experienced so much, she had seen so many deaths, even Death himself. It was something no ordinary person could have gone through. It all felt like a dream...<p>

_'...Perhaps it was...?'_

_tick... tick... tick..._

**4/7/09-Tuesday,** **Dark Hour**

"..."

Sadly, it was not...

_'Tch... The Dark Hour again... I kinda wish this was all just a dream... dammit...'_ she bit her thumb, '_I should forget about Minato-kun for now and concentrate on this... I have less than a year...!'_ she paused and threw her pillow next to her. Minako stared blankly at the ceiling with a serious expression.

'_I could try to stop everyone from killing the 12 shadows... but...' _She sat up on her bed, and rubbed her chin before burying her face on her hands.

_'...But the Apathy Syndrome will continue to plague everyone!' _the girl groaned and lifted her head, pausing as if she was thinking about something. After a moment, her expression changed into a serious one, her crimson-red eyes gleamed with determination. The girl grabbed a pen and a small piece of paper from the drawer. She scribbled something on it and solemnly nodded as she stared at the white sheet.

_'I have to protect everyone...'_ she tucked the paper under her alarm clock...

_Go to Paulownia mall at midnight._

_Don't tell anyone._

* * *

><p><strong>408/09-Wednesday**

"You were the talk of the school y'know? Having a couple of cuties side by side... d'you know how many hearts you've broken in one day?" the friendly teen continued, when Minako suddenly spoke up.

"Er... I have to go now..." Yukari, Minato and Junpei turned to the girl who had stood up already. Minako walked out toward the door, Minato grabbed her by the wrist and stared with an awfully worried expression. He tried to convince her to let him come because a girl walking alone could be dangerous, but after persuading him to let her alone, he finally let her go hesitantly.

"Oooh... Looks like someone's got a sister fetish" Junpei joked at Minato who watched Minako before disappearing with the crowd of students. The boy shot him a another cold glare - which gave off the feeling of being naked in the middle of winter. The sharp silver eyes didn't help ease his feelings either. It was like that of a beast. Junpei froze after finally giving in.

"Okay! Okay! Sorry... I was just kidding... geez..."

"Haha! Looks like he got you Stupei!" Yukari blurted out laughing. Junpei frowned.

"Hey! Don't call me that..."

* * *

><p><em>'I should've come here in the first place...' <em>She sighed, standing in a dark alley.

It was an ordinary alley. It was pretty clean despite the fact that barely anyone ever even gives notice to it. There were even two seemingly healthy potted plants by the side; they were most likely fakes though... after all, there's no one to take care of them, and the sunlight could barely even reach the place. However, what was most peculiar was what stood in front of her, glowing in faint blue light. No one seemed to notice the suspicious door except her.

Minako shoved her hand in her pocket before pulling out a velvet key. _'Who would've thought I still had this...?' s_he clicked it into the door knob and twisted it.

Suddenly, but slowly, a flash of bright light began covering her body. The next moment, she found herself in the ever-so familiar blue elevator-like room. On one side, a white-haired man stood. He had golden eyes and he was wearing some sort of attendant's clothing. His skin was so pale and white, like snow. In the center of the room was a round table, behind it was a long-nosed, pointy-eared old man who seemed troubled with just the sight of her. If she didn't already know him, he'd be mistaken for a goblin.

She took a deep breath and casually walked forward and sat down the chair up in front.

"We were expecting you. Though, your contract has already ended..." The old man stared intently at her with his large, round eyes which might just fall off any time. They were abnormally huge.

-That's what Minako thought when she first saw the guy up close. She didn't react this time though. Minako had determination in her eyes, as if saying 'spill it out!'. She banged her palm on the table's surface.

"Igor! What's happening? There's Minato-kun... and me... and past ... and..." The male attendant raised a brow, the old man sighed.

"You seem distressed... allow me to shed you some light" The girl paused and seated patiently.

For a moment, silence covered the room. The only sounds were the ticking clock, their soft breathing, and the strange music echoing in the background.

Igor stared at her and began shuffling some cards. "It seems we have underestimated the power of the Universe..." he said, placing three cards face down, "A new beginning or the ultimate end? What was your choice? It was to mend what was separated. To take what was dearest to you, and to seek out the truth which you yourself had hidden... that was your choice" after saying those words, he flipped a card which revealed 'The Moon', in reverse.

"Thus, you are now in the middle of a crossroad- a new beginning" Igor paused for a while and placed his hand on top of the second card, "...you may turn a blind eye now if you wish; or, you may try to change the inevitable. Either way, we are here merely to guide you on which path you wish to take" The old man continued. This time, he stared down at his hand and flipped the second card up which revealed the image of 'The Wheel of Fortune'.

The girl's red-eyes widened, but she didn't dare ask further.

It still made barely any sense, but from what she had heard, the power of the _Universe Arcana_ had something to do with it and the world she was currently in was somehow different. Sure, everyone else was there, everything looks the same, but events were messed up, and then there's _him_. He replaced her role, that's the only conclusion she could grasp. It seemed like the change of role was affecting her greatly that everything felt new.

There was another moment of silence before it broke.

"Give me another contract"

The old man smirked, the attendant tried to speak, but stopped after receiving another cold glare from the girl. He zipped his mouth, his right eye twitched. It wasn't normal for him, but the fire in her eyes were burning brighter than ever. It was as if no one could stop her.

"I said, give me a new contract. I need it to use the Velvet room right?"

"But there is more-" The girl glared harder at the attendant before turning back to Igor who had closed his eyes. _'Wow... I feel like I'm bullying Theo...' _

He snapped his fingers and a paper and a pen suddenly appeared. It was the same old contract, but it had an extra line. It was at the bottom, in a strange, sparkly blue ink. It was written in a fancy font.

"Memento Mori...? Doesn't that mean...?" They nodded at her. She paused and signed it anyway. After finishing, it disappeared into a blue smoke.

"I have another request... could you... do something so that I will turn into a coffin just for tonight?" The two men raised their brows, puzzled by the girl's words. She appeared to be confident with her decision though, which made the old man smile.

"A rare guest indeed... such a strange one..." The old man chuckled. Good for you, your role is not one bound by fate..." He muttered.

Minako looked puzzled, but shrugged it off. She must have heard it wrong anyway.

The old man rested his chin on his right hand, moving closer to the girl. "But you must know. For that one night... you shall lose all the memories you hold dear... and your Persona shall be in slumber. The next Dark Hour will be its return. Do you still wish to continue?"

She didn't answer. Her red-eyes was locked onto his wide eyeballs. She had a serious look in her face.

"I thought as much... very well..." Igor smirked.

Again, he flicked his fingers. In an instant, another contract appeared. It just stated what Igor had just said. At least the first few lines were almost exactly as he said.

The girl signed in without reading the rest of it.

The old man smiled as he lifted the final card - 'The Fool'

"Ah, by the way, please send our regards to _him_..."

Immediately after dropping the pen, Minako's sight darkened... Everything blacked out...

* * *

><p><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Aaaand Chapter 2~<br>**************

**************Anyway, in the part with the tarot cards... what Igor was saying is not necessarily the interpretation of the card he picked... it's up to you if you want to look it up though...**************

**************Buuut it's not like you'll discover anything...**************

************** I think...**************

**************In any case, if you have comments or if you find any mistakes, don't be afraid to drop me a message or type it in the reviews~ I won't bite XD**************

**************Oh, and if possible, please check out the poll in my profile ;)**************

**************=Persona 3 and any SMT series does not belong to me.=**************


	4. Chapter 3: Innocence is Bliss

**Chapter 3: Innocence is Bliss  
><strong>

**4/8/09-Wednesday  
><strong>

"I'm back~!" The auburn-haired girl cheerfully called out to everyone as she opened the door. The ever-so familiar lounge greeted her, along with some familiar faces.

Yukari, the girl with light brown hair was comfortably seated on one of the couches which surrounded the table. Right across her was a man with wavy chestnut-brown hair which reaches past his shoulders. He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater underneath his yellowish brown peacoat which matches his equally colored pants.

While the girl inspected the room, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her before she had the chance to react.

"I'm glad you're safe... I was worried" he said in a low voice.

"Minato-kun... I was just out for a moment... geez..." the boy let go of her and took his place on one of the sofas. Minako shifted her gaze at the stranger. She had a strange feeling on her stomach the moment she laid her eyes on him.

_'Do I know him...? He feels familiar but... I'm pretty sure this is the first I've seen such guy..."_ she furrowed her brows._ 'Then again... I've been having memory lapses lately...' s_he shrugged and took a seat beside her twin.

"So... you're the other one. We were waiting for you" the stranger smiled.

"Hehe... Sorry... I spaced out. I'm Minako Arisato by the way" the girl bowed her head in apology for making them wait. Come to think of it, where had she been to anyway? The next thing she just knew, she was standing in this dark alley, having no recollection of why she had been there. Again, another case of her 'memory lapses'.

"Good Evening to both of you. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school. 'Ikutsuki' … Hard to say, isn't it? Even I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes..." he chuckled turning toward the twins.

Minato was expressionless as always, it was difficult to say what he's thinking about.

_'Chairman of the Board...? I'd better behave then...' _Minako, on the other hand just smiled, though she's still bothered by the strange feeling she's been getting from the man.

"I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment" the man continued.

"No problem! This place is quite comfortable for me" Minako answered energetically, raising her hand.

"As long as I'm with her, it's okay" the boy added with his usual expressionless face.

"Hahaha. I'm glad about that. Is there anything you'd like to ask?" the chairman chuckled before turning to the newcomers.

"Why did you come here?" Minako asked feeling rather nervous. It was the chairman after all, and his mere presence felt heavy. Though, for some reason, it felt like that wasn't the only reason for her feeling of uneasiness.

"To welcome you, of course. Speaking of which... Where's Mitsuru, Yukari?" he turned to the girl across him.

"She's upstairs" the girl answered politely.

"As diligent as always. Although, it doesn't hurt to come down and say hello... Do you have another question?" Ikutsuki nodded to himself before turning back to the twins.

"I saw something odd..." This time, it was the blue haired boy who spoke. Yukari's expression froze upon hearing his words, Minako just stared at him with a puzzled look.

"You saw something strange? ...Like what? You were probably just tired. I wouldn't worry about it. It's bad for your complexion, you know" the chairman replied calmly. Minato nodded weakly in response, still maintaining his composure. For a moment there, Minako thought his brow twitched a little.

"Then, I hope you have a successful school year. Now if you'll excuse me... You must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early. As they say, 'The early bird catches the bookworm'! ...Please forgive the bad pun" Ikutsuki chuckled at his own words to which Yukari sighed.

"Thank you, I will! Since I hadn't have a proper sleep since arriving..." Minako answered standing up, trying to ignore his last lines.

"You'll get used to his lame jokes" Yukari rolled her eyes, feeling quite embarrassed of the man's actions. Minato nodded and donned his headphones before quietly heading straight to his room.

* * *

><p>The young lady watched the monitors in the strange room with deep concentration. Behind her was a girl with pale brown hair. It was like something from the movies, especially spy movies where the spy had to infiltrate a base. In this case, she was in the room where the baddies watch the spy get blown up, only to always miraculously survive. The monitors displayed different parts of the dorm, most specifically, the room of the twins.<p>

"Working hard? So, how're they doing?" the adult said as he approached the red haired girl.

"They went to bed a little while ago. They're asleep now" She closed her eyes for a moment and switched her attention from one screen to the next.

On one screen was a sleeping blue-haired boy. His room was pretty identical to his sister's, although his bed cover was blue instead of pink. The other screen was Minako's room, she was also sleeping soundly on her bed.

"Mr. Chairman, do you think they're...?" She turned to the man with a worried look. He moved closer and watched the monitors showing the two rooms.

"Well, let's wait and see for now... The Dark Hour is approaching" he answered with his arms were crossed across his chest.

* * *

><p><em>tick... tick... tick...<em>

**04/08/09-Wednesday, Dark Hour**

Suddenly, everything stopped as if all life ceased to exist. The puddles of blood, the pale moon and most of all, the strange coffins have all revealed themselves yet again. The time of the dark-green night had come one more time, just like how it had always have for the past ten years.

"Hmmm... He's still sleeping, but as for her..." he paused, rubbing his chin. "The Dark Hour occurs everyday at 12 midnight; you could say it's the 'hidden' hour. During this time, an ordinary person Transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs" the man frowned and stared at the two monitors again.

The rooms were same as it was a moment ago - if you don't count the blood splatters on the floor and walls that is. Minako's room was even more bizarre, for the girl was nowhere to be seen. On top of the bed sat a suspicious, large, black coffin.

"Minako-chan's 'normal' for what it seems to be... but... then... he must be..." Yukari watched the monitors with a frown, before turning to Ikutsuki.

"As you can see, he's retained his human form, while his sister Transmogrified. He's asleep, but he's definitely experiencing the Dark Hour. Only question that remains is whether or not he has the potential. Although he must... If he didn't they would've preyed on him by now" the chairman spoke calmly as he eyed the monitors. He scratched his chin as if he was thinking of something intently.

"Scary..." Yukari muttered, watching the screens.

"In any case, we should continue to monitor him in a few more days" the man spoke again.

"Yes, sir. What about the girl?" Mitsuru asked with a solemn look, her eyes firmly attached to the man's face.

"I guess it will be pointless watching her. It will be safe to cease our observation on the girl" He pushed a button, closing the girl's screen.

"I feel kinda bad though, spying on them like this... But what will happen to her then?" Yukari glanced at the man waiting for his answer.

"I'd have to make arrangements for her to move. Until then, she stays..."

* * *

><p><strong>49/09-Thursday**

"Good morning Minato-kun~!" The girl cheerfully greeted as she ran down the stairs. The boy looked quite groggy, but smiled at her appearance. He was seated at the dining table eating toast with a cup of warm chocolate to his side. He raised his hand and pointed on the chair next to him. There was already a plate of toast similar to his, sitting up front of it. Minako followed him and began to to gulp on her meal. She stared at the boy who was now blowing on his warm cup of choco.

"... Did something happen to you? You look... different..." the girl took a bite off the bread and turned to the boy. She knew he was the same as ever, physically speaking, but at the same time, he felt... off...

"I had a dream. Not the usual, but of an elevator... A blue one..." he answered weakly, setting down the cup. Minako chuckled at his answer. He was a strange boy indeed. Somehow, that was the kind of answer she expected to hear from him.

* * *

><p>After finishing their breakfast, the two went off to school together. Minako felt strange though. It was as if something was lifted off her heart, and yet, she feels incomplete without it. The girl would glance to the boy from time to time. He didn't mind though, in fact, he was smiling on the inside.<p>

"Hey... You know, it feels like I've known you for a long time" Minako suddenly blurted out without thinking. After realizing what she had just done, her face turned rosy pink.

"So do you accept me now?" he asked, trying to ignore her embarrassment to keep her at ease.

"Um... I guess I have no choice! Cause... you're... the closest family I have left..." Her voice faded at each word, especially the last one which was barely audible. Minato grinned at her answer. He placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled in approval.

"Don't worry. I won't let us get sepa-"

"Yo... Man, I'm so sleepy today. In times like these, it's best to sleep during class!" a familiar voice spoke from behind before he could finish his words. Minato glared at the cap-wearing teen yet again. This time, it was definitely a glare of annoyance.

"Hey! No sleeping in class. Got it?" Minako pouted at the boy.

"Whaat? Why do you have to be all serious?" he turned to Minato and froze from his icy glare.

"... Did I do something wrong again?" he asked in frightened tone. Minako laughed it off and pat his back in an attempt to comfort him. The blue-haired boy moved closer to Junpei and whispered in a threatening voice.

"Don't get too close to her. You're lucky this time you made her laugh, if not..." He crunched his knuckles and went ahead of them, leaving the poor boy in cold sweat.

"Don't mind him~ He's like that, but I know he's nice. You'll be best friends in no time. I'll tell him to go easy on you, don't worry!" Minako assured him with a warm smile.

"..." Junpei slouched unsure of what he's supposed to feel.

* * *

><p>Classes went on smoothly. Junpei and Minato slept through it the whole time. It was quite a sight to see.<p>

_'I'd better lecture Minato-kun to stay awake... but...' _She snickered and took a quick glance at the two. _'They're more alike than they think...'_ The girl then turned her crimson eyes back to the board as she listened to Mr. Ekoda's ramblings. For some reason, no one was giving the sleepy-heads any attention. They must have known that it's pointless to reprimand those two.

Even though Minako seemed as if she was concentrating on the lesson, her head was into something else. The strange feeling won't leave her chest. Something was missing... It was a strange sensation of loss and peace. She was laughing and having fun, but... What was that feeling? Something's wrong. She squeezed her hand into a fist and took out a piece of paper from her pocket with her free hand. It was well kept despite being crumpled up.

_Go to Paulownia mall at midnight._

_Don't tell anyone._

It bore her signature at the bottom and a date on top. Other than the feeling of incompleteness, there was this. She couldn't remember ever writing it, but at the same time, she was sure she was the one who wrote it. Minako knew her hand writing very well, even other people could easily distinguish her writing. The girl sighed and stashed the paper away.

_'I should've expected this... I don't remember Minato-kun. Mr. Chairman was familiar and yet I don't know him... and this... I guess I DO have some serious memory issues... Oh, well... I'd better go... It might jog my memory'_

* * *

><p>"Let's go" Minato called her out in a monotonous voice. Minako shook her head and got herself ready to take off in an opposite direction.<p>

"I... I'll be coming home late tonight, so don't wait for me" She smiled weakly, picking up her bag. The boy frowned again, feeling worried for her, but knowing Minako, she wouldn't stop until she gets what she wanted. He sighed and approached her, patting her head.

"Just be careful ok? Don't talk to strangers. Run when something happens. Call me when you're in trouble, I'll be there in a flash" he said, placing his hands on her shoulders, keeping eye contact.

"I will!" The auburn-haired girl nodded and ran off at the chance she got.

"The things I do for her..." The boy muttered to himself, picking his own bag and went on his way.

* * *

><p>"Wow~ This place is lively!" Minako smiled excitedly staring at every building. There was an arcade, a karaoke bar, a mall, a music store and many more places teenagers like her would normally spend their free time at.<p>

"Hey! Mi-chan! Where's your bro?" Minako turned around to see the her ever-so familiar cap wearing friend wave at her. She waved back and ran toward his direction.

"He went ahead. I have... Um... Plans! Yeah, that's it " she answered hesitantly.

"Oh. Then you're alone?"

The girl nodded innocently. After noticing Junpei smile, she backed off a little as if she saw a wild hyena.

"Wha... Hey... I'm not planning anything...! Geez... what has your brother been teaching ya? Say what, I'll treat you to some meal. That good?" he sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Really? Yay! Well then, let's go! I won't tell Minato-kun, promise~" She answered enthusiastically.

* * *

><p>Junpei almost cried for his wallet after Minako finished eating four bowls of ramen. She tried cheering him up by offering to go to the arcades. There, they played games, from fighting games to shooting games. Minako always defeated him in the end though, which made him feel a little bad, at the same time, pumped up.<p>

The girl was also able to win a bunch of prizes. Lots of them. From key chains to stuffed toys. She even got herself the pretty mask from seemingly out of nowhere. The manager almost cried after the girl almost swiped up everything in the toy crane. It was a fun day. The girl felt like she didn't want to end that moment. Not just yet. It was already 8:30pm when they parted ways.

The capped teen offered to escort her home, but since she couldn't really say that she had to stay up until midnight, Minako had to assure him she'll be fine. Of course, she coupled it with a _"What if Minato-kun sees you... I don't know what he'll do...". _Those words shook him off her. Junpei was reluctant, but seeing as she really won't go, he left her, turning back once, seeing her bright smile.

* * *

><p>11:59pm...<p>

tick... tick... tick...

**4/9/09-Thursday, Dark Hour**

"AAAAAGH!" She shrieked. The girl held her head with both of her hands as she fell down on her knees. A sudden pain entered her head as the mucous colored moon touched her with its light. There were coffins everywhere and even pools of blood which came out of nowhere. It was the Dark Hour. After a moment, the pain ceased. Minako slowly stood up. She clenched her fist tightly and lifted her head, eyes filled with determination.

"Alright, it's time..."

* * *

><p><strong>So... here's another chapter~<strong>

******The whole mind wipe thing was like the one where you choose to kill Ryoji... ******

****** Just think of it working that way :D******

**Anyway, still editing the others, but I'll be uploading them in the next few weeks (or days) :)**

**Don't expect too much change in the main P3P plot. It'll be mostly the same (at least for me that is)...**

****12 Arcana Shadows, climb tower, Nyx, blah, blah, blah, that kind of thing... But no, I won't be ripping out game scripts for the most part. Sure I'll still be using them, but... okay, it's hard to explain... but things won't be the same (especially chapter 5 onwards)...****

**Let's say... this is all about the subplot.**

**The subplot is the mainplot and the mainplot is the subplot because everybody already knows about the mainplot. THERE. ;P**

****Again, don't be afraid to make comments, suggestions, or (hopefully not) violent reactions, especially if you find spelling or grammar mistakes~****

****I'll be sure to fix those in a jiff ;)****

**=Persona 3 and any SMT series does not belong to me.=**


	5. Chapter 4: Crimson Wing

**Chapter 4: Crimson Wing**

**4/9/09-Thursday, DarkHour  
><strong>

"... How is he?" the man approached the screen and watched the sleeping boy. It was a sight to see, blood was everywhere and yet, he was sleeping soundly.

"... The same as last night" the girl sitting in front of the monitor answered in a stern tone. She had a hint of worry in her face and turned to the man. "His sister hasn't returned yet... but Arisato did inform us she'd be late..." she held her arms close to her and stared downward, opening the monitor of Minako's room. True enough, the girl wasn't there. The bed was intact and there was no sign of anyone going in ever since they left for school.

"If that's the case, there's no need to worry. She's safe inside the coffin" he laughed and turned off the girl's monitor. The red-head still had a hint of worry on her face, but she had no choice but to trust the man's words. After all, they wouldn't be able to tell which coffin was Minako if they did a search now. They were all identical. The chairman shrugged and continued. "In any case... This is very interesting. Even those who have the potential tend to be unstable at first... Memory loss... Disorientation... But this subject is rather unique. He hasn't exhibited any common symptoms"

"But... we're treating him like a guinea pig" the man turned to Yukari who held onto her arms rather tightly.

"I understand your concern, but it's imperative that we recruit new members. I heard he's in your class... Wouldn't you be more comfortable working with someone from the same grade?" the chairman smiled.

"Yeah, I guess. But, still..." suddenly, a ringing noise surfaced from the speakers, making the threesome turn their attentions to it.

"Command room... Is that you, Akihiko?" Mitsuru called out. Yukari was alarmed, but the older man kept his cool, hiding his eyes behind the gleam of his glasses.

"You're not gonna believe this...! This thing is huge! Unfortunately, I have no time to talk... It's chasing me... I wanted to let you guys know. I'm almost there" a male's voice called out from the equipment. He sounded quite distressed. He was running from his breath from the sound of it.

"Does that mean that... He's bringing that thing here?" Yukari exclaimed, slamming her hands on the controls. Luckily, it didn't do anything.

"Mr. Chairman! Let's suspend our observation for now. We'll prepare for battle!" Mitsuru stood up, ready to exit the room. Yukari followed from behind.

"...R-right! Be careful" the man said with a trembling voice

* * *

><p><em>'What's with all that noise...? I just wanna sleep...' <em>the boy opened his silver eyes, raising his head. _'This again...?' _He sighed hopelessly seeing the blood everywhere. Minato shook his head and flopped his head back on the pillow. He tried to close his eyes again when a loud knocking banged him back up. He frowned, but seeing as it sounded urgent, he stretched his arms and slowly walked toward the door.

"Wake up! Sorry, I'm coming in!" the boy raised his brows and shrugged. He turned the door knob and the girl immediately jumped in. He was quite startled by her entrance. Judging by the look of it, she was troubled. No, not just troubled. She was in panic. "I don't have time to explain. We have to get out of here, now!" he was yawning when she took his wrist.

_'Something is wrong here...' _Minato pulled his hand away and tried to get her to calm down. "Wait... Shouldn't we get Minako too?" his expressionless face twisted into a serious one. They stared at each other for some time, or at least it seemed that long. She took him by the wrist again and pulled him with her.

"Don't worry. I'm sure she's fine. You're in more trouble. So, let's hurry downstairs! We'll leave through the back door! Wait! … Take this, just in case" Yukari pushed a one-hand sword into his hands.

_'…! What...? But... How about Minako... What's happening...?' _he gripped the handle tightly and followed the girl. It was more like she pulled him around though. _'I have to trust her... Minako... Please be safe...' _he bit his lip as they ran through the dark hallway...

* * *

><p>"Alright, we should be safe now-" the girl huffed.<p>

It was evident that she was almost at her limit, not in terms of stamina, but in terms of will power. She was shaking, her voice was trembling and she was very cold. Minato, on the other hand, managed to keep his calm, but he knew for himself that he was scared despite not showing it. His heart was pounding like crazy. The world looked different, just like the night he arrived. His fear was not because of the different environment, but because of the urgency of events. Surely, a girl banging on your door in the middle of the night, giving you a sword and pulling you around the place was definitely not normal.

_'I knew it something was up...' _he stared at the dining table, reminiscing the moments just that morning. What's more was that they finally began opening up to each other. More on her part anyway. The two of them, chatting, eating... Maybe he really shouldn't had let her go. It was common sense, a girl alone in the streets? Bad idea. For all he knew, someone might have lured her in with candy. Now that he'd thought of it, had Minako returned already? He didn't really know her meaning of 'late'.

The boy was to deep in his though that he didn't notice the conversation of Yukari and Mitsuru. His attention just turned back to them after hearing the word 'enemy'.

"The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!" it was surely Mitsuru's voice, but she wasn't anywhere. He shrugged. Things couldn't possibly get weirder.

_'Enemy...? This is starting to sound like some sort video game...' _he rolled his eyes when Yukari grabbed him again before he realized it.

"L-let's pull back!" she gasped, pulling him around again.

_'… Now I know what Minako feels... I'd better lay off on my surprise attacks...'_

The two hurried up to the dormitory rooftop. They were both worn out from all the running. Even Minato couldn't keep his straight face now. He was rather haggard as he tried to catch his breath. The rooftop was like the dormitory. The surroundings were freakishly green. The moon was full. One would think it's beautiful, if not for the abnormal mucous color.

"The door's locked. I think were safe for now..." the girl sighed in relief. Minato nodded in response.

_'Hope you're right...'_

* * *

><p>A loud roar erupted in front of the pair. The two almost jumped up in surprise as they watched a hand grab onto the rooftop's railing. It was followed by another hand which raised some sort of mask. It seemed as though it was trying to survey the area. Then, more hands appeared, followed by more of them which were holding blades. Minato could've sworn he had ran away if his feet wasn't frozen. Yes, he knew he was scared. He could think of a hundred movies with scarier creatures. But this was no movie. It's real. He was trembling for the first time in his life ever since the accident. It came closer to them, he backed off, finally regaining control of his body. Without a thought he turned to Yukari. She too was horrified at the sight. Checking up on her didn't help... It just increased the tension he felt...<p>

"You gotta be kidding me...! It climbed up the wall...?" she exclaimed. There was a hint of fear in her voice, but for some reason, she knew about it.

_'What the hell is happening here?' _He grasped the sword even tighter. His hands were shaking, but he managed to lock his attention to it, watching it's every movement. One wrong move and they might find one of those blades skewered on their heads...

"That's the thing that attacked this place... We call them Shadows!" she explained to him with a trembling voice. He gulped.

_'Right... You have the time to explain...'_ a drop of sweat ran down his face as he stared squarely at the creature. One thing kept him in focus - the thought of protecting his sister. He couldn't let that thing run around, not under his watch. Then again, can he defeat this thing? It had like, ten arms... Or rather... It was just arms... Still, that would be enough to butcher him...

"O-oh yeah... I have to fight... I... I can summon mine... No problem..." she took out a gun. Minato's eyes widened. "Here goes..." She pointed it in her forehead and closed her eyes. She was shaking and breathing heavily as she attempted to pull the trigger.

_'What? Killing herself? Don't leave me here dammit!' _that was the first thing which came to his mind, but he couldn't do anything to stop her or the creature at that. It was as if his feet were glued on the ground again. It was a matter of life and death. This was no dream.

The creature finally closed in to her and spread its arms wide, producing a rather powerful blaze of fire. Yukari was sent flying, knocking her down. Her gun flung off beside the boy's feet. It was quite a sight though. Normally, a person should be filled with burn marks or maybe worse. An explosion like that would've caused serious damage, it could even cause decapitation. Seeing as the damage wasn't that bad, it's either not as strong as it seems to be, or she's just not a normal human. Wait... Not a normal human...? Then... Would that mean...

The creature turned to the blue-haired boy while he tried to figure things out. His heart was beating like crazy. He turned his attention below. The gun. It was lying beside his foot.

_'_…_ She couldn't have attempted suicide right...? Now that I see it up close... This is a strange...' _

The boy bent down, he was about to pick up the silver object... When it was swiped out his sight by a bright red flash. It took a second before his mind processed what just happened. He turned to the figure in front of him. It was a female figure. The light of the moon illuminated her, showing long, straight, golden hair. She was wearing a beautiful crimson dress which had long sleeves almost enough to cover her whole arm. It was only knee-length though, so movement was not restrained it was also rather frilly. The frills running down from her chest to her stomach and the ones encircling her waist were pearl white in color compared to the rest of the frills on each edge of the clothing. She held a weapon on her right hand. It was a simple, sleek, red naginata, which seemed rather light and easy to wield even for someone of her stature. On her left hand was the gun. The boy's attention moved from her body to her face. Her bright red eye gleamed under the moon. She was wearing a crimson mask with golden streaks. It covered the whole right side of her face. The said mask was in the shape of a butterfly's wing. It was as if the time stopped as he stared at her, mesmerized by the girl's appearance. She gave off an ominous aura... A bright red ominous aura...

She pointed the gun at her left temple.

"PERSONA"

She muttered, pulling the trigger. A loud shattering of glass echoed in the dark of the night. Behind her appeared a strange being. It had a humanoid appearance. The creature was pure white with a bit of silver armor, it also had sad red eyes and had a chain wrapped around its arm which was further connected to four black coffins. It gives off a powerful bright aura as its body glowed in the dark night. But for some reason, it seemed as though it was bound by something on its back- a white pillar...

Minato could've sworn the girl smirked. She had a mask which hid her lips, but he felt she did. The Shadow turned its attention to her and shrieked using the same tactic it used on Yukari. An explosion was produced by the creature yet again. Minato covered his eyes with his arm, waiting for the smoke to clear up.

_'…!'_ he stood in shock. She was left unharmed.

"Messiah, god's hand" she pointed at the 'thing'.

At that moment, the white figure raised its arm and a gigantic golden fist fell from the sky, crushing the Shadow, leaving a large smush of black sludge... He couldn't help but stare at the poor thing. Sure it tried to kill them... But the way it was crushed felt... Like it was slaughtered. When he finally realized the creature's fate, he turned back to the girl who had just turned away.

"W-wait!" the boy shouted, reaching out his hand to her. The girl stared at him for a short while. Their eyes met each other, the girl's bright red orbs and his platinum silver eyes. The moment seemed to have lasted forever, it was as if they tried to read each others' intentions, but no one spoke a word. Suddenly, the mysterious girl ran off and jumped down the dormitory building. He followed her, stopping at the sight of the railing. His silver-eyes locked on the ground all the way down, but she was nowhere to be found...

* * *

><p>"Is... It over...?" Yukari huffed weakly, making the boy turn back to her. "...! It's still moving...!" she gasped as the black smudge began crawling closer to her again. "No... G-get away from me!"<p>

Minato ran toward her direction and pulled his sword in front of him. He cursed at the back of his mind. The teenager jumped in between them and hacked one of the Shadows. The mask it bore was cut in half, disintegrating in the dark space.

"Behind you!" the terrified girl shouted, pointing to the far left direction. The boy turned around.

"Argh...!" he gasped in pain as he held the scratch mark on his side. He fell down on his back. It tried to attack him again while he was down, but he managed to roll away before it hit. He jumped back up and charged at the creature and slashed at it, but he missed by an inch after it effortlessly moved to right. It tried countering his attack after the dodge, but this time he was able to jump back to his right. He pulled up his blade again and slashed the Shadow in half before it had the time to aim again. It suffered the same fate as the first, melting in a hiss of smoke...

Minato fell on his knees, with the sword as his only support. His legs were trembling. It was actually a miracle he managed to fight at that condition.

"A-are you alright...? And..." Yukari approached him. His face twisted in pain as ruby-red blood dropped from his side. "Who was that?" She turned to look at the railing, staring at the distant sky.

"I have no idea..." he shook his head while he breathed heavily. The boy's silver-eyes slowly closed before he fell on the ground, with the final memory of Mitsuru and a silver-haired male running toward him... For a moment, a crimson masked in the shape of a butterfly's wing flashed in his mind...

* * *

><p><strong>I believe everyone knows who this masked someone is yes~?*kicks you if you don't*<strong>

**... yeah... s'all I can say for this chap... =_=**

**Oh, and I know everyone knows about the upcoming Persona 3 Movie right? AMG. I'm so hyped. Heck I search for Japanese full moon calendars just so I can go to the site and check it out at midnight at a full moon XD**

**But then... even when I learn when its release will be... it would take time for the subbing and for it to be available on the net... so that means more wait time... T_T**

**********-Persona 3 and any SMT series does not belong to me-**********


	6. Chapter 5: Resolutions

_Aren't you forgetting someone...?_

_What's with that question? Man, you really need to loosen up!_

_Are you sure you're alright?_

_I'm fine... But I guess I'm skipping out today_

_W-what? You can't be leaving me with these two! Come on, one girl with two guys?_

**Chapter 5: Resolutions  
><strong>

**4/10/09-Friday  
><strong>

"-ato..."

"Ngh..."

"Min-to-un..."

"Ugh...

"Minato-kun~"

The silver orbs revealed itself to the girl. She was smiling brightly as usual.

"You sleepy head!" The girl flicked her fingers on his forehead which was resting on the soft hospital pillow.

The boy was immediately brought there after the Dark Hour ended. He didn't receive any serious damage, but Mitsuru had him stay just in case of internal injuries. His vision was still blurry, but the mere thought of her being beside him made him feel relieved. She was out that night after all, and with that monster roaming around... what could've happened to her?

"Are you alright?" He suddenly shot up and grabbed her arms. She smiled painfully at him, which made him release his grasp. "S-sorry..." The boy muttered, bowing his head.

"Ha... It's alright. I'm the one who should be asking that... Glad you're fine though!" She paused and moved closer to his side. "Don't scare me like that... Yukari and Mitsuru-senpai told me you fell down the stairs while sleepwalking..." She stared at his eyes which were trying to avoid hers. He turned his back on her in confusion.

_'What kind of reason was that...! They could at least make a cooler excuse...' _He sighed feeling embarrassed. Minako giggled and turned away for a moment, her eyes were filled with regret.

_'Sorry for leaving you out there...'_ She thought to herself. It felt like she was tricking him...

She knew the truth of that night. In fact, she knew more than anyone else. How she wished that she was actually ignorant of the events during the dreaded hour... just like that one day her innocence returned even just for a short period of time. No worries about carrying the world on your back, no worries about the imminent danger that lurks, no worries of how to prevent The Fall... but doing that would be like running away. The girl turned back to the young man and smiled gently.

She moved closer to him and whispered softly to his ears. "You'd better get well soon..." His usually void face showed surprise, coupled with a warm sensation of redness. "Hehe... Got ya!" They laughed together in the hospital room, forgetting about the Dark Hour in that short moment of peace...

* * *

><p><strong>418/09-Saturday**

He was discharged from the hospital that Saturday night. Minako went to bed early (or so they thought), while he was called out in the 4th floor. There, Ikutsuki, Mitsuru, Yukari and a male student were seated on their respective places, waiting for him. The three were seated on sofas which surrounded an antique table. Ikutsuki was on the center, Mitsuru and the male student were seated beside each other on the right sofa. Across them was Yukari. They turned to the newcomer the moment he entered.

"Ah, There you are. I'm glad that you're okay. I wasn't sure what I'd do if anything had happened to you" The chairman sighed in relief. Minato nodded at him, showing that he's completely recovered. "The reason I asked you here is because I needed to talk to you. Please, have a seat" The Chairman smiled at him and pointed him out to the seat right beside Yukari.

The boy's eyes darted from the chairman, to Mitsuru and the stranger and finally, to the empty seat.

"Oh, before that. This is Akihiko Sanada, he lives here too" He turned to the silver-haired boy.

"How ya' doin'?" He smiled at Minato, the boy bowed to him in respect as he flopped on the soft furniture.

"Okay, let me start off by asking you this... Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?" Minato stared that the man with his poker face. He took in a deep breath and opened his mouth.

"I wouldn't believe you if you said a day only consists of 24 hours" His answer made the man chuckle, the others raised a brow at him.

"That's a surprising reaction" Mitsuru finally chuckled along with a man after a moment.

"I don't understand..." Yukari added, looking quite confused along with Akihiko.

"Scientifically speaking, it is 24 hours, but how are we to say it really is 24 hours all the time? Just like tonight. Time suddenly stopped. While sometimes, the sun rises later than it should and..." The boy continued speaking, the whole group stared blankly at him. For the first time he was talking a lot. Minato was a boy of few words, Yukari knew that, Mitsuru was familiar with it, so it was surprising seeing him talk this much. What's even more amusing was that he was speaking in a monotone voice the whole time. It was a sight to see. Or hear for that matter.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile... In the command room, a shadow lurked, fidgeting with the controls. "Ah... This is it...!" She held up the black, rectangular object in triumph. Her bright red eyes sparkled at the sight of it. "Umph...!" The girl suddenly clasped her hand on her mouth.<p>

She turned to the door. Nothing. She sighed in relief and let go of her mouth. "Now if I do this... and this... delete this... and..." She muttered, glancing at the door from time to time. She was tampering with the tape and the machine. Lucky for her, the boy was 'unintentionally' stalling everyone else with his 'lecture'.

"There!" She smiled, returning 'it' to where she picked 'it' up.

_ 'Good thing I messed in here last time... I finally made use of that experience...'_ The girl made sure everything was back in place and that she didn't leave any evidence. Quietly, she tiptoed out the room and back into hers, tucking herself under the covers...

* * *

><p>"...and that is why 24 hours is not accurate enough" The boy pointed out in a flat tone. His listeners were half-asleep, except for Mitsuru who listened attentively.<p>

"You're an interesting one..." Mitsuru smiled and turned back to the oldest man who was already snoring. She cleared her throat which almost made the guy jump in surprise. He scratched his head and smiled in apology after realizing his little trip to dreamworld.

"As we were saying, your experience the other night... That's the Dark Hour – a time period hidden between one day and the next" The others who had drifted off finally returned to their senses after hearing the girl's clear voice. As for the blue-haired teenager, he wasn't surprised at all, but deep inside, thoughts were swirling. Thoughts of the night he arrived, the other night of the attack and... Their attempts of hiding this thing from him.

_'I knew it something was up...'_ He sat straight and continued to listen. They explained to him that it happens every night, and only few people experience it.

"Normal people don't realize it, since they're all sleeping inside their coffins" The senior added which almost made Minato stand. They looked puzzled at his sudden reaction, but he got back to shape afterward.

"How about Minako?" He asked in a low voice. Everyone stared at each other, with Ikutsuki finally sighing.

"She doesn't have the potential" He shook his head. Minato sighed in relief. Although he wasn't sure if it's something to be happy or to be worried about. Sure, she's 'safe' from all this horror, but... It sounds rather unnerving that she's inside a coffin...

They further explained about the Shadows and what they do. The whole time, Minato held his pants tightly. The mere thought about the truth of the Dark Hour... but he could only think of one thing, or at least of someone - Minako. All these scary things were happening. She's not aware of it. She's innocent. He must protect her, the closest family he had left. Yes, the only met recently, but he already felt deep attachment for her. Sure he remembers the days of their childhood, but the past few days with her were already treasured memories for him. Memories he wishes to further collect... Minato listened to them, about the S.E.E.S., Persona-users and fighting Shadows. His silver eyes turned to Mitsuru after she stood up. The red headed girl took out a case and opened it in front of him. It contained a gun. It was identical to the one Yukari had that fateful night. Of course, he never had the chance to use it since 'she' stole it.

"What he's trying to say is, we want you to join us. We've prepared an Evoker for you. We'd like to you to lend us our strength" The senior pushed the case closer to him. The Evoker reflected in his eyes as he stared at it. There was a moment of silence.

"... But how could you tell that I have a 'Persona'?" He stared at the group. Mitsuru smiled and looked back at him calmly.

"If you don't they would've preyed on you. The Shadows. Also, you had consciousness that night. An ordinary person would be..." She turned away as if she was thinking of what to say. He nodded without waiting for the senior to finish her thought. He tried to show them that he understood the gist of it, from judging his now serious expression. He reached for the gun but suddenly paused halfway.

"Minako... What will happen to her?" He turned to Ikutsuki who smiled back at him.

"We'll be arranging for her room transfer-"

"No" The boy cut in the moment the chairman mentioned '_transfer'_. They stared at him in surprise.

"I only came here for her. If she's not around, I'm going too" He answered in a cold tone. Yukari and Akihiko frowned at his answer.

"But this is for her own-"

"I understand... She can stay then" The man answered, cutting Mitsuru. She glanced at the adult worriedly, but he all he did was nod.

"She'll be safer in the presence of Persona-users don't you think?" the chairman added, clapping his hands. Minato let out a sigh of relief and slowly reached for the gun. His head throbbed and his hand shook. Something inside him kept nagging him that he shouldn't take it... but... Minako... Who would protect her...? That single thought clouded his mind. The boy paused and took a deep breath before finally wrapping the Evoker around his fingers. He stared intently at it, feeling its cold touch...

_'I promise... I will protect you...'_

* * *

><p>"Speaking of which... What about the girl who stole my Evoker?" Yukari turned to Mitsuru. She looked troubled, hearing the question and closed her eyes.<p>

"We'll investigate on that matter. For the mean time, try to find out what you can" They nodded at her answer.

"It would be great to have her on our team. She totally cornered that thing" Akihiko added, crunching his fists, his eyes were burning with excitement. Everyone returned to their respective rooms. Minato turned to look at the place they held their meeting. He held the Evoker tightly and went on his way.

* * *

><p><em>'I'm sorry if I have to fool you all... Minako cannot change anything... But she can...<em>' The girl pulled the cover of her bed over her head. It was a cold night. A dark, quiet, starry sky perfect for camping. She was not camping though. Instead, she was locked up inside her room. The girl sighed and finally pulled down the blanket, revealing her auburn hair and blood-red eyes. She stared blankly at the ceiling with thoughts of everyone important to her. Even 'he' was important already.

_'I've only met him recently... But it feels like I've known him since birth...' _The girl stretched out her hand and picked up the trinket from the drawer. She opened it up again revealing the mysterious picture.

_'Then again... I AM supposed to know him since birth...'_ She chuckled, closing her eyes, falling into a deep sleep, after muttering the words...

"I promise... I'll protect everyone... I won't let them get involved in this..."

* * *

><p><strong>By that 'experience' it was tamperingwatching the videos via hidden camera in the command room. They said it was broken... Ok, let's just say she learned a thing or two from Fuuka... And anyway... The hidden cameras weren't used much after the admission of FeMC/MC, so... She just did that just in case XD**

**********-Persona 3 or any SMT series does not belong to me-**********


	7. Chapter 6: Tartarus Alone

_**Story so far: Her journey has met its end; but what if she finds herself back at the beginning, with a new role...? Now, with memories still intact, & ultimate Personas at hand, she won't stop until she obtains her ending... **_

_**But things are already looking different from her previous encounter... She doesn't have Death within... and this twin brother she never knew existed appeared...? Added to that is that he seemed to have replaced her original role...**_

_**Now assuming the identity of a mysterious masked Persona-user, Minako is determined to fight alone, hoping to change their fates...  
><strong>_

_**But is this the right path to take?  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Tartarus Alone<strong>

**4/9/09-Thursday, Dark Hour  
><strong>

"It's a pleasure to welcome you again my guest..." The old goblin stared at her red, piercing eyes. She darted it toward the younger male who turned away at the sight of her. The girl walked in, her gaze still on the man who began to feel rather uncomfortable. After all, last time she was there, she kept giving him a cold shoulder.

"Theo!" She shouted by his ear which made him flinch. The white-haired man finally faced her and sighed.

"Yes, master Minako?" He forced a smile at her.

The man really didn't want to see her right now. It's because of her bullying and... the relationship they kind of had in the past. They had some misunderstanding during that time, and now, she's hot on his tracks. She snaps at him pretty quickly ever since he ended their 'human world expeditions'. Come to think of it, their relationship became strictly 'business' after that day.

"I need equipment and armor... you have any left?" Suddenly, her rather serious expression turned into a warm smile. Her cold, red eyes became that of a little puppy's, begging him to listen to her plea.

"I am afraid I cannot simply accept such request. I may provide them over once you accomplish my quests..." he frowned at her. It was difficult to answer to her like that... Her puppy eyes says so... Her scary, adorable, bloody puppy eyes... Theodore was about to get ready for another 'Minako glare'. He turned to Igor to avoid it, but he heard a giggle instead. The man gave her a quick glance. She was still smiling.

"Don't worry... I plan to pay... It's not money or anything though" the girl bent down and rummaged through her paper bags. Speaking of which, she was carrying quite a lot of those since entering the elevator-like room. Three of them, all white in color. "Tadaa~!" she held out a Black Frost stuffed toy in front of him. His eyes sparkled with delight. The old man stared at him suspiciously, but he managed to retain his composure. Theodore cleared his throat and turned back to the girl.

"I am afraid I cannot accept this... It is... inadequate..." he sounded quite disappointed, his eyes were still on the doll. The man had been lectured by Igor about those kind of things lately.

"Awww... but you accepted Jack Frost last time..." she pouted. The girl bent down again and started taking out more stuff. From Vegeta plushies to Pikachu-themed pens. The man's eyes began to sparkle in excitement, not noticing the older man's sigh. Finally, seeing that it was not affecting him, Minako began returning them in the bag. Although she did know he was in fact, very interested, she knew that he thinks Igor might scold him again.

"Oh well... I'll keep them then... I should've known you're not interested in this kind of stuff..." the girl let out a disappointed, yet sarcastic sigh. She glanced at the man who was now staring at the items with yearning.

"... I... I do need a spare space in my room after all. I would not mind if you take some of the equipment lying about" the attendant finally snapped. He tried to avoid Igor's eyes by turning all his attention to the guest.

"Thanks~! Can you keep these for a while then?" she winked at him and shoved the bag to his arms. "Don't worry, I'll do your quests some other time!"

Minako was given a crimson-red dress, a strange wig and a naginata. As for the mask she now held... Let's just say she had it taken care of...

* * *

><p><strong>417/09-Friday, Dark Hour  
><strong>

_'I should have not promised to do more quests! I DID pay him...' t_he girl complained inside her mind while mindlessly slashing through the creatures in her path. Her attacks were so fast that they leave the world before even realizing that someone was there. The last thing they would see was a crimson flash...

_'Oh well... but...'_ she spun around and defeated the Shadow who attempted to prey her from behind. She was defeating them with ease. It was like a walk in the park actually. The way her golden hair swayed in the dark halls, her leisurely walk and her calm attitude all pointed to a 'Shadow slaughter fest'.

_'Seriously, first time I came here... Scary. Now that I'm here again at the lower grounds, it's so easy!' s_he chuckled, slicing through another unsuspecting Shadow in front. If those things didn't look so freaky, you'd think she's the bad guy here and they were the victims. Most of them were actually minding their own business when she just suddenly hack them with her blade. In fact, most of the Shadows would run just from the sight of her crimson mask.

The chess-like floor and the green shoji*-like walls were blood-stained as always. It was just as how she had remembered it. Normally, she came in that cursed tower with her friends. This time, she's alone. Not like it's her first time alone... okay, it is... Though even coming there by herself in the past, Fuuka or Mitsuru still guided her around. Still, she can manage by herself even without navigation since the lower floors were simple and easy to explore compared to higher ones. In fact, she had already defeated the guardians and she's on her way to the final floor where it's supposedly blocked off.

The dark hallways had become desolate and quiet. One would normally feel better if things were like that, considering that the other ones who'd accompany you would be mask-wearing black slimes. Not the cute ones at least. They're hideous, but always better than having THAT creature... It appears in such of setting... First... the sounds of chains clashing each other, as they were dragged around ring in your ears... Then... dare not turn back... Run. Find the stairs or the portal. Coming in contact with it would mean death, and she should know it more than anyone else, after all, she had died once and she was the one who carried Death for 10 years...

_'Shit...! Dead end...' _she turned around to the creature. Something was different about it... A strange, dark aura it didn't used to have... It was staring at her with its one visible, golden eye. Revolvers were on its hands, ready to attack. The masked girl raised her weapon, preparing for battle.

_'I could beat this thing... but something's different with this one...!'_ she grasped her weapon even tighter, charging at the Reaper first to its right. She slashed her way through. It shrieked, but the attack barely did any damage. It had resistance on almost everything and even blocks light and darkness. Plus, her current equipment was not exactly the best... This would explain the difficulty of defeating it, so it's always a wiser choice to run. Added to that was the strange feeling she couldn't shake off... That's her decision in the first place anyway, if not for this dead end. If Fuuka was around, she could've known about this and prevented herself from getting cornered, but she's all alone in this one.

The girl took the chance to run. With her accumulated speed after charging, she ran straight to the wall toward its side. It was her first try, and lucky for her, the speed was enough to temporarily stay on running the wall before returning to the ground.

_'Now...!' _she was standing right behind the monstrous entity before she knew it. Her nerves couldn't calm down. It was still behind her. No looking back.

"ARGH...!" her face twisted in pain as a powerful bolt of lightning fell out of nowhere. Sparks of electricity ran through her skin as she leaned on the wall, now facing the attacker. The Reaper had used Thunder Reign on her before she had the chance to get ready. It would've been worse if she didn't had resistance on Elec damage thanks to her current Persona, Messiah.

_'Oww... I don't remember it being this strong... and it definitely didn't do that before...!' s_he held her arm with her left hand. She bit her lip and tried to ignore the pain. Her main priority was to run. She went for the opposite direction with the sound of _death_ still closing up to her. The girl knew she couldn't outrun it in her current condition. Without turning back, she pulled out the Evoker and shot.

"Helel! Morning Star!" she called out in a trembling voice.

The sound of the shattering glass overpowered the sound of _death_ in that single moment. A humanoid creature appeared behind her yet again as she continued on her way. It was different from the first one. This one was more human in appearance. It had six wings sprouting from its back, a pair of long horns from its head and wore a strip a cloth. The creature spread its wings and a flash of bright light exploded, immobilizing the enemy. It did quite a fair amount of damage since it was an almighty attack, one of the only type of moves which can give this creature 'normal damage'. The moment Helel disappeared, the Reaper continued its pursuit. She was still suffering from the earlier injury, causing her body to twitch once in a while.

It was gaining on her...

...Light? There was a faint light on the next turn... Could it be...? With all the strength she had left, the female tried to endure the pain. The creature behind her pointed its weapon and shot a large fiery explosion. Everything felt like it was in slow-motion... The fire... it was a meter behind her... an inch... a millimeter... The heat could be felt from her back...!

"HYAAA...!"

The last thing she saw was a flash of green light...

* * *

><p>"Haa... Haa... Haa... Ugh..." she winced in pain and grabbed her injured arm. Sweat dropped down her forehead, flowing down her mask as she breathed heavily. The naginata now sat beside her while she remained rested on the entrance of Tartarus.<p>

_'That was worse than Nyx... Not in terms of power but...' d_uring that last moment, she jumped toward the turning point. There was a portal just as she expected...

_'Strange... How come it was stronger than I remembered...?' _her face cringed in pain again at the thought. If that last attack hit... Well... there wouldn't be anyone to get her and she'd probably be one of the 'Lost' by now. The girl took the Evoker from her side and shot her temple. The silent hall echoed with the sound gunshot. A rainbow colored snake appeared behind her, though it looked more like a worm...

"Yurlungur... Diarahan please..." the creature shook its body and rained a shower of bright light on the girl. Slowly, her wounds began to disappear and her breathing began returning to normal.

_'Sheesh... I couldn't even get through the first block alone...' _The girl slammed her fist on the white floor. Her knuckles began to bleed, but it disappeared right away after the rain of light touched it.

"Can I really do this alone...?" she muttered to herself. The snake finally disappeared, but she still felt pain...

* * *

><p><strong>418/09-Saturday**

"... Minako. Wake up" a soft knocking on the door entered the small room.

It was a Saturday morning. Beautiful skies, sunny day... Perfect for cutting classes. Speaking of which, she had never really ditched any of her class, unless if she gets sick. It's been almost two weeks since the attack of the first Shadow. The next couple of days were fairly normal. She went through Tartarus here and now... but last night was definitely the worst.

_'Going there on a weekday... bad idea...'_ now that she remembered it... She was supposed to be absent for a week... or at least, Minato should be... Well... this was one change in history now.

"Ugh... Yes... Coming..." she groaned. The girl lifted up her head and began doing her morning routine. She took a quick shower, changed her clothes and ate breakfast with her brother. All that time, she was slow on everything she did. In fact, they just made it in school in the nick of time. With Minato dragging her of course. During class, their roles reversed too, Minato was listening, while Minako slept through everything, which made her twin glance to her direction. Something was wrong with her...

* * *

><p>"Hey... Hey..." he shook her, trying to get the girl up.<p>

"Mmm... Wha...?" she opened her eyes and instantly shot up her seat, almost hitting the boy's chin.

"B is the square root of- Huh? Class... is over...?" she looked around, only few students remained. They were packing up their things, others were just chatting.

"You don't look so good... Maybe you need to go to the clinic..." Yukari approached her with a worried look.

Minako was acting strangely the whole day... She almost lost her way a couple of times, drifted off more than usual and most of all, she slept through lunch! That was what hit the nail which signaled that there was definitely something wrong.

"Haha... I just... Slept in the wrong side of the bed" she forced a smile with her sleepy face. Minato stared at her and sighed. He took her auburn head toward his chest and began patting her.

"Take care of yourself okay?" he said in a gentle tone. She smiled while resting on him. It was warm... It felt nice...

"Hey there! Rough night?" Junpei came in with a wide grin on his face. Besides Minako, he the was the other one sleeping in class. "And you were the one who lectured me about sleeping!" he joked, poking the girl's forehead after Minato had released her. The blue-haired boy was a lot less wary on Junpei since they met. During that past week, they had become friends through Minako's efforts of setting them up together.

"Doesn't matter... I've heard this lesson before anyway..." she held her head and yawned. They looked puzzled. _'Did I... Agh...!'_ she shook her head and flailed her arms, trying to fix her minor slip up. "Er... I mean... I've studied in advance!" they shrugged.

"Oh~ As expected of Mi-chan" the capped boy pat her back. Minato smiled and pat her head again. That was enough to ease her feeling...

_'What was I thinking... Yes... I can do this by myself... for them...' _she smiled lightly at the thought. The pain suddenly went away...

That next night... Junpei joined the group and they began their first exploration in Tartarus the night after that... For some reason, enemies ran away from them... They needn't even use their Personas...

* * *

><p><strong>Shoji- is a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent paper over a frame of wood which holds together a lattice of wood or bamboo.<strong>

**Anyway... speaking of the Reaper... to be honest... I never defeated that thing XD**

**I attempted to do it a few times, but failed even though I was at lv.99...**

**Yes. I know. I'm weak... (or maybe it's just strong ;P)**

**Btw, again, if you have any questions, ****comments, suggestions, or (hopefully not) violent reactions, don't be afraid to message me or post in the review ;D******

**In any case... Next chapter, some romance~ (maybe)XD**

**********-Persona 3 or any SMT series does not belong to me-**********


	8. Chapter 7: Another Day

**Chapter 7: Another Day  
><strong>

**5/08/09-Friday**

_'Tomorrow's the attack of the Priestess! I have to get ready...!' _She clenched her fist, tucked herself under the covers, turned off the lights and wished the locket goodnight...

11:59pm...

tick... tick... tick..

Like each and every night, everything changed... The sickly green, bloody world had revealed itself yet again... This night, S.E.E.S. Members had also turned in for the night after their exploration in Tartarus the previous night. The residents of the building were in their human forms in contrast to the people outside who had turned into coffins. Well... with the exception of one... The girl sleeping in the room at the end of the hallway...

She was a coffin...

* * *

><p><strong>509/09-Saturday**

"Good Morning~!" she shouted cheerfully in the hallway. One by one the residents began walking out their rooms, with the exception of a certain cap-wearing teen who was still asleep. Other than him, there was Akihiko, the senior and captain of the boxing club. He was actually the first to wake up each and every day, doing his morning jog. The silver-haired senior was already dressed up and ready to go, greeting the girls along the way. Yukari and Mitsuru greeted him back. They had just finished changing their clothes and was on their way to eat breakfast, with Minako behind them.

The blue-haired boy had just come out of his room too. His uniform was rather messy, along with his hair. He rubbed his eyes and turned to the auburn-haired girl, glomping her from behind.

"You're early today..." he muttered in a sleepy voice. The girl smiled without turning to him. Normally, she'd blush, but he's been doing that for the past few weeks that they had been together, and now, she's used to it. Her brother would actually be more aggressive if it was only the two of them. The most he had done was bury his face in her chest... No malicious intentions though, he just loves showing the girl how he feels since he's not much of a talker. At least that's what Minako engraved in her mind...

"I feel great this morning! Now... Please... Get off... You're heavy..." she moaned, trying to keep her balance intact. Minato smiled and backed away from her, going his way to the dining room, ahead of her.

"Hey~! No fair! I'm getting the larger slice!" the girl pouted and followed him from behind.

All of the teenagers (minus Junpei) came to school together. Minako was especially cheery that morning, humming her music, and skipping her way to school. She didn't care if people began staring at her or if they began thinking she was weird. All that mattered was the feeling of lightness.

_'She's so cute...'_ Minato had a faint smile on his face as he watched the girl's back. He was following her from behind, with Mitsuru and the others in front of the two.

Minato was the other reason that she didn't end up worrying about what other people thought... It was because she never had the chance to notice the stares. Whenever they give her a strange look, her twin immediately 'releases an aura of death'...

* * *

><p>As usual, it was a boring day at school, Minako took down notes like she always did. This time, no one was asleep, but that didn't mean everyone was listening...<p>

His silver eyes began to drop down... The voice of the teacher sounded like a sweet lullaby... Getting sleepy... _'Zzz... Huh...?' _Minato was already half-asleep when he felt something touch his head. He curiously stared at the small sheet of paper which was now on his table when he heard a hissing sound. It was Junpei, signaling the boy to open the paper. He raised his brow and did what he was told anyway, thinking that sleeping in class would be worse. It was a messy writing, almost impossible to read actually...

_Mi-chan seems awfully cheerful today... More than normal anyway..._

_Anything good happen?_

The brother's eyes widened, forgetting his drowsiness. He took out his pen and began writing. Minato locked his eyes on the teacher's every movement and waited for her to turn around before throwing the paper back at the sender. It landed on the center of his table, right on target! And the teacher didn't even notice, their classmates ignored it, so they were pretty much safe. Some began whispering though, two pairs of students to be exact... Junpei opened it up to see the response. It was a neat, simple writing.

_Yeah... She does that... Perhaps it's because of the love I gave her this morning...?_

The teenager's eyes widened as he read the note. He turned to Minato with disbelief, as if saying 'No joke?'. The silver-eyed boy nodded at him, with his usual expressionless face. The capped boy hastily wrote back in the paper and threw it back.

_You... Crossed the line...? Seriously...?_

_Man... I know your fetish... But... This is..._

The boy read it calmly and wrote back.

… _It's no big deal... I always do that._

_She's okay with it... _

The cap-wearing boy's jaw almost fell. He wrote back in the paper and threw it again, but it never reached Minato. The moment he turned to his right, a familiar figure stood, burning with intense, hidden anger. It fell in the hands of the teacher who had veins popping out of her head if you imagine it...

"You two... You're staying after class!" she was holding back her voice, but there was a hint of frustration. Junpei smiled weakly, Minato's face was the same as ever... The class fell into laughter with their capture, there was even a pair who were rejoicing for winning the bet that the two will be caught, much to the dismay of the other pair who lost.

_' The moment they actually stay awake... They get into trouble...' _Minako sighed in embarrassment. She was sitting in front as opposed to the two who sat somewhere way in the back - a perfect spot for sleeping.

Her blood-red eyes turned to the two, watching the teacher reprimand them. Junpei waved at her awkwardly, Minato gave her a thumbs up for no reason... _'… What were they doing anyway...?'_

The twosome stayed behind after class. One more in their group and they would complete the legendary idiotic trio of the class. There's one in every class, except 2-F. Not like anyone would be transferring any time now...

Yukari had to go somewhere, most likely had something to do with her club... Mitsuru was busy in the student council, being the president, everyone always relies on her. Akihiko, on the other hand, was in the hospital for his check-up... No one was back there in the dorms... The girl sighed at the thought of staying there all alone and mindlessly walked in the city. Going back home would be boring since no one was around... Still, she felt good. It was like all her worries were suddenly washed away in one night, at the same time, the feeling was familiar. The sudden feeling of freedom that is. Recalling the past days, it's pretty similar to the day she hung out with Junpei. Speaking of which, where had her arcade loot gone to? She can't remember... She knew she gave it to someone... But however hard she tried, the girl couldn't recall who... It was like pieces of her memories suddenly disappeared... _'Oh well... If I've forgotten them... That must mean they're not that important...'_ she shrugged and continued on her way...

* * *

><p>In the end, she decided to get something to eat. Sure, she ate lunch, but for some reason, she gets hungry easily and she eats heavily too, people say she's lucky that she stayed slim all those years.<p>

Minako was on her way to Hagakure to grab a bite. It felt quite sad though, having to eat alone. _'They all have their own 'thing' to do...' _she sighed at the thought. Although technically, Minato and Junpei's 'thing' was nothing to be proud of... The situation was usually like that for her. They'd have after-school meetings and they would immediately keep quiet whenever she arrives. Minako knew that her dormmates were in this 'secret club'. They won't let her join though, and even Minato was being secretive about it.

_'I feel kinda left out...' _she frowned, turning to the shop close by. The auburn-haired girl stepped to the side of the road, in front of said shop and paused. She took out her wallet from her backpack and began counting her money. Minako had that habit of checking how much she had left. After all, it would be embarrassing to walk in, order a lot and only to figure out you don't have enough to pay. She was about to put her wallet back when a man suddenly crashed into her, almost toppling her down. A hit and run.

"Hey...!" before she knew it, her wallet was swiped off her hand. People stared at the scene. Yes, they just watched and did nothing. "Stop that thief!" she ran after him, shouting loudly. Despite the ruckus she was making, no one even dared stop the guy. Minako kept running after him, not noticing where he had led her to. When she came to her senses, he was gone. She was lost, yet, the place felt familiar...

* * *

><p>It was the back alley of Tatsumi Port Island. Not the best place in the world... In fact, it had a pretty bad reputation around the area. True enough, the place didn't look Minako-friendly. There were writings all over the wall, trash and the place wreaked of the smell of smoke and alcohol. That's not the bad part though. It was quite early, but a lot of the rumored 'bad crowd' hung out there already. The teenagers ranged from around 16-20s years of age. Most were smoking, some were gambling while a few seemed to be doing some shady deals. Eyes stared at the oblivious girl as she walked around the area. She stood out like a sore thumb.<p>

_'My wallet...'_ the girl frowned, not noticing the dangers that lurk in the dark...

Slowly, one by one, the shadows crept up closer to her...

"Wah! H-hey...!" the red-eyed girl suddenly felt a strong tug by the arm while she was busy looking for the lost thief. "L-let go...!" Minako tried to pull away, but her strength wasn't enough.

She turned to see who or what dragged her. It was a beanie-wearing young man who looked like one of the punks, he can also be mistaken for a hobo by some. He had scary piercing eyes and somewhat long, dark hair reaching his down shoulders. The teenager was wearing a rich maroon pea coat and a pair of dark brown pants which matched his equally brown shoes. The moment she saw the teenager, her heart skipped a beat, her face flushed red for a moment... Why? She had no idea...

"Are you stupid...?" he finally spoke in a rough tone, breaking the girl's trance as he continued pulling her out of the place.

She looked around, finally realizing all the eyes prying on her. Most seemed rather... Lustful, if not angry for someone getting her before them. All of them had the image of punks and delinquents. Minako lowered her head, trying to avoid their gazes. The young man, however, deflected their stares with his own glare. One sight of him and they flinch on the spot. Some began retreating like rats in the darker alleys.

"B-but... My wallet... Someone stole it and..." she muttered in dismay, eyes still cast down the ground.

"And what were you planning to do after catching up to him? Ask for it?" he sighed, finally releasing her.

They were back from where she was robbed, in front of the shop. The girl scratched her head awkwardly, unable to reply. She was actually thinking of pouncing on him and grab her wallet given the chance, but now that he mentioned it, it's not like she could get away with that... It was a guy she was dealing with after all. Judging by how this stranger dragged her helplessly, there's no way she could have retrieved her item...

"Don't come back... I won't be there the next time got it?" he added with a rough tone after turning his back. He didn't even spare her a glance when he spoke. Minako pouted at him and followed from behind.

"But... I can't leave without my money...! I haven't eaten yet..." she complained, but he ignored her, continuing on his tracks. That was until... her stomach growled. Rather loudly. They both stopped at the sound of it, other people didn't seem to have noticed though. The girl blushed and held her stomach out of embarrassment.

She was on the verge of tears because of her hunger and lost money... coupled by the fact that there was no one back at the dorm to comfort her. So much for waking up in a good mood... How she wished for once that Minato would be around... If he were there, he'd give her all the money he had, plus his remaining lunch and he'd even take advantage of the situation to comfort her. Minako frowned at the thought. The beanied teenager finally turned to the girl.

"I should've just left you out there..." he sighed heavily.

* * *

><p>The next thing they knew, the two were in Hagakure, eating ramen, extra large for Minako, regular for the guy. There wasn't much people eating, it was a rather slow day. The couple sat beside each other eating in a rather awkward silence.<p>

"So... Ummm... Thanks for treating me here!" the girl turned to the teenager with a bright smile on her face. He was blowing the soup and took a quick glance at her with his piercing eyes and immediately turned back to his meal.

"Tch. Whatever" he replied. The girl sighed and continued eating her bowl of noodles furiously.

"Seriously. Forcing a complete stranger to treat you... What a moron" he added. The girl stuck her tongue out and pushed away her now empty bowl.

"Hey! I didn't ask you! You lured me here with you remember?" she crossed her arms and glared at him. The young man ignored her glare and kept quiet. It wasn't her usual glare though. Not the type she uses when trying to scare off others, but it was a rather playful glare. One that a spoiled kid uses on her older brother when they fight. She sighed, finally giving up on the silent treatment she's getting.

"Oh, yeah... My name's Minako by the way. How about you?" she smiled, trying start a conversation and to ignore the fact that he was ignoring her.

Her male companion finally finished eating his meal and was getting ready to pay. The beanie-wearing teenager finally turned to her with an annoyed expression.

"None of your business" he answered in a gruff tone, while rummaging through his pockets. He took out a bill and placed it on the table.

"Aw... But I want to know onii-san's name..." the girl frowned.

The moment she left those words, the guy immediately turned away from her as if feeling embarrassed. She tried to peek on the face he was hiding, but to no avail, although she could've sworn she saw a tint of redness in his face. He didn't speak for some time until the shop owner took his bill and gave the change.

"Shinjiro" he muttered in a low voice, still avoiding her gaze.

"Um... What...?"

"You were asking for my name. It's Shinjiro..." he scoffed without turning to her.

Her red eyes slowly widened, filled with sparkly stars of delight while her lips began forming a wide smile.

"See? That wasn't so hard! Were not strangers anymore! Right, Shinjiro-onii-san?" she chuckled.

He stood up and stomped away, but the girl still stalked him from behind until they left the shop. He finally turned to her, with a scowl in his face and a furrowed brow.

"Just shut up and go home. Don't bother with me" he answered bluntly.

The girl frowned and grabbed his sleeve. She stared at his eyes with her special 'puppy-dog eyes'. Shinjiro flinched, but tried to keep his cool by keeping his expression intact.

"But... I want to spend more time with onii-san..." she said in a weak voice which sounded like she was ready to cry. He pulled away his arm and turned the other direction, ready to leave.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" he suddenly spoke without even sparing her a glance. His back was turned on her the whole time.

"Mmm... Nope... Everyone back at home are... kinda busy... So I'm pretty much alone..." the girl shook her head slowly. The young man sighed at her response. He gave her a quick glance, seeing her lonesome face. He sighed again.

"...I'm usually here on Wednesdays..." he muttered weakly, yet loud enough to be heard, pulling the beanie even lower right after saying those words. Minako's expression immediately lit up and nodded at his answer, waving to him as he disappeared in the crowd.

_'Shinjiro-onii-san~ I hope he treats me out again~'_ she giggled while skipping her way back to the dorm...

* * *

><p><strong>509/09-Saturday, Dark Hour**

"...!"

A sudden pain erupted from her head as the world turned sickly-green yet again. It was like something suddenly pierced her head, like a spear of overflowing memories. She breathed heavily and held her head tightly before finally getting a hold of herself. The girl was now sitting on her bed.

Her face flushed red after recalling the recent events. The stolen wallet, her brother's mess, her savior, her trip to Hagakure... Everything happened so fast...

_'I can't believe we met today...'_ she shook her head trying to shake off the thought. The girl pinched her cheeks and sighed. _'But... I can't believe it... I called him onii-san... It's sooo embarrassing...!'_

She turned her gaze outside the window. The full moon was shining beautifully despite its strange color, illuminating the moss-green night. It was quite as expected of the Dark Hour. There was not a single sound other than her breathing. Her dormmates were asleep, and if she remembered it right, Mitsuru was in the command room with Akihiko, trying to search for Shadows outside. Soon... It will begin...

_'But... I'm glad to see him again... I'm not a member of S.E.E.S. anymore... So I though he'd never bother with me...' _the red-eyed girl sat on her bed quietly for some time, looking down her feet before suddenly standing up. Her face was filled with a mixture of shock and confusion.

_'Hold on...! Did I just... Lose my ...!' _she paused and tried to calm down for a bit before finally taking out her 'disguise'.

_'Agh... Igor...! You'd better have an explanation for this_!' she clenched her fist after pulling out a large black box from under the bed. Minako opened it revealing a crimson dress, a sleek naginata, a golden wig and a bright-red mask. The girl began changing her clothes as she submerged herself into thought.

_'I'll deal with Igor and Theo later... I have to get that Shadow first...'_ she donned her crimson mask and departed through the window and into the long night awaiting her...

* * *

><p><strong>Did I ever mention this was a Shinji x FeMC fic? XD<strong>

**Their first meeting was supposed to be the visit to Aki right? But since Minako's not a member of SEES anymore, she didn't have a good reason to visit Aki... and they're not exactly 'close' yet... I have to improvise :P**

**I had hard time thinking how I'd re-introduce them to each other... She's not the leader nor part of SEES...**

********So... Expect to see more Shinji in the later chaps~;P********

********Again, thanks to those who gave me advice to kill that Reaper~ ****************(even though... yeah... our PSP is dead so I can't play... T^T)********

**********Also, as I've said before, if you have any questions, ****comments, speculations, suggestions, or (hopefully not) violent reactions, don't be afraid to message me or post in the review ;D**************

********-Persona 3 and any SMT series does not belong to me-********


	9. Chapter 8: Fools and Second Full Moon

**Chapter 8: Fools and Second Full Moon**

**5/09/09-Saturday, Dark Hour**

_"_We're here!" Yukari came running in the command room. Behind her followed the two young men, Junpei and Minato, who still seemed groggy as ever. The room was filled with complicated machineries, though it seems like they were of little use. It was Mitsuru's powers at work anyway...

"Where is it? I'll rip it a new one!" The capped boy turned to the female senior.

He was brimming with excitement considering the situation. Junpei was the most impulsive in the group next to Akihiko, judging by his actions in their explorations, summoning his Persona almost every battle and charging into enemies at the sight of them... His actions almost got the group into trouble multiple times already... If not for the seemingly distressed Shadows. The creatures actually kept running away and they all seemed beat for some reason... Junpei kept claiming it was his 'badass Persona aura' scaring them.

"We've detected a Shadow outside of Tartarus. We don't know for sure, but we think it's another big one. We have to defeat any of them we find, as quickly as possible" Mitsuru turned to the group, the sleepy, blue-haired boy to be exact. He was yawning when she turned to him. "Most people don't know the Dark Hour exists. But if half the city is destroyed, there will be panic. That must be avoided at all costs."

Minato straightened up upon hearing those words. After all, one of these 'people' was Minako - his main reason for moving in and joining the group. Speaking of which, they haven't hung out for some time now...

_'Better put that on my to do list...' _The boy nodded to himself seriously.

"In other words, we need to kick some ass, right? Well, count me in!" Junpei exclaimed proudly.

Yukari sighed at the boy, Minato, on the other hand, was too busy thinking about something else. It made it seem like he was ready for the night's operation with the serious expression he put on, but behind it, his mind was drifting off again in an attempt to find ways to spend more time with his sister (considering what happened earlier).

_'Treat her at Hagakure? That always works...'_ He was smiling on the inside at the thought...

"Akihiko, you stay here and wait for the Chairman"

"Wha-? Are you kidding? I'm going!" The red-haired senior glared at the male which made him draw back.

"You still need to recover. You'll just be a hindrance" She stated matter-of-factly.

"What?" He retorted, but the woman gave an even fiercer glare. The two kept bickering for a bit more, with the boxer on the losing side.

The silver-haired senior groaned, finally giving up... The two watched as Akihiko was defeated by Mitsuru, Minato, still in his trance...

"You're in charge" Mitsuru pointed at the dazed Minato who finally snapped back after hearing her voice. He nodded, still having his poker face on. Junpei shot the female senior a glance of disapproval.

"Him again...? But he has never even called out his Persona!" The capped boy complained. Yukari shot Mitsuru a worried look while Akihiko chose not to interfere.

True, Minato had always been the leader since they began exploring the Tartarus. While Junpei summoned his Persona without hesitation and Yukari summoned hers for healing support, their ever-so-calm leader never did. He always relied on his weapon, but that did not stop him from clearing the whole first block.

"That is why he is most suited for this role Iori. His calm and cool demeanor is an asset. We're not talking about power here, but the ability to lead" the red-head she stated sternly.

"... Besides... you owe me for this morning..." A chill ran down Junpei's spine as a cold, low whisper seeped from behind his ear. He could practically feel a dark aura, similar to the one he received from a certain boy on their first meeting... The one where he spoke with his twin... Last time, she was around... but she's not here to save him this time... Junpei gulped and lowered his head at the thought.

* * *

><p>The group was quiet as they moved their way through the monorail, much to Yukari's delight. It was cold, dark (in a shade of green) and creepy, there were some coffins and blood puddles on the floor that you'd think there was a massacre that occurred. No Shadow in sight. Still, with that situation, the group couldn't let their guards down... Especially the fact that their navigator informed them that something was strange. According to Mitsuru, she sensed Shadows in the area, but they disappear as the group progressed further.<p>

_'Man... He's still pissed...'_ Junpei sighed as he stared at Minato's back.

It all began that morning, when they passed messages to each other. Minato still blames him because he hurriedly passed the paper without paying attention if the teacher was looking or not. That was an important rule in message passing. The fact that they stayed over wasn't really the reason Minato was pissed, but rather, because they had to stay behind, so, he wasn't able to spend time with Minako. Plus, she was in such a good mood! It was the perfect opportunity to sneak up on her just like before breakfast! Well, there's that, and the fact that the boy was convinced that she'd be depressed if he wasn't around...

"C'mon! I'm sorry bout' that okay?" Junpei finally spoke.

The leader didn't turn back, as if ignoring him.

The capped-boy sighed. "I'll treat you to make up for it..." He added in hopes of getting Minato's attention.

During their short time together, Junpei had detected three weaknesses of his silver-eyed friend - food, music and Minako. Again, Minato didn't turn back. Junpei was about to give up when the blue-haired boy gave him a thumbs up. Yukari facepalmed at the two.

_'One more in their group and it will be the idiotic trio... Good thing that's not happening any time soon... I hope...' _The lone girl sighed.

* * *

><p>Soon, the monorail began moving, so the group hurried up, but never found a single Shadow on the way. Minato led them calmly, Junpei followed without hesitation to avoid angering their leader again. Now that he thought of it, other than the threats and aura he throws out at him, Minato had never actually done anything bad... Which makes it feel even more frightening... A character like that means danger... Junpei shuddered at the thought of what the boy could do.<p>

"Hey! I hear something!" The capped-boy shouted, pointing ahead.

True enough, they caught sight of it. A large, female, black and white Shadow. In front of it was the strange girl from the other night. Her long golden hair swayed as she turned to them, revealing her crimson butterfly mask. Her dress was crimson red, like her eyes. She held a naginata on her right hand and the stolen Evoker on the left. The next moment, the Shadow shrieked in pain and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke...

The three stared dumbfoundedly, forgetting that the monorail might crash into something any moment now. The masked girl turned away from them and calmly pulled a lever which stopped the vehicle on its tracks.

"Whoa... Who's that chick?" Junpei's jaw dropped the moment he saw her. He was blushing despite not seeing her face. Minato just stared at her with his silver eyes, while their female companion glared.

"You...! Where's my-"

"Everyone... Shadows-" Mitsuru cut in before Yukari finished asking about her Evoker.

All four people were alarmed, counting the masked girl. From the looks of it, Mitsuru was attempting to contact them, but her voice was suddenly cut off. Her voice was trembling and she was breathing heavily as if in a fight. Minato bit his lip and showed uneasiness in his usually void face.

"Everyone! Let's go!" The leader shouted and ran back. He gave the masked girl a final glance before running off. His female companion followed without hesitation.

"W-what?" Junpei partly panicked and looked at both directions, the masked girl who just stood there and his friends who had already gone on their way. Junpei, like Minato, gave the girl a final glance before following his friends.

Her visible eye showed a shocked expression. She remained in her position in a daze...

* * *

><p>"Senpai!" Yukari called out, her Evoker was pointed on her forehead as she ran toward the red-head. She summoned Io and immediately used up a Dia on the upperclassman.<p>

"Ugh... uh..." The senior moaned, finally recovering.

"W-what are those...?" Junpei exclaimed after finally catching up.

They were lucky that Mitsuru was still in one piece considering the two gigantic Shadows up front. One had the mask of those Shadows of the Emperor Arcana, the other was of the Empress Arcana. The Emperor had long arms and a large sword in hand while the Empress was a fat one, with long, thin neck and was holding a scepter.

"Be careful... I can't seem to damage them..." Mitsuru warned as she attempted to stand. Yukari helped her up.

"Hey! Look out!" The capped teenager called out.

The Emperor swung its sword on the two girls. Yukari tried to block off her senior which sent her flying.

"Yuka-tan!" Junpei shouted.

He snarled and charged in calling out Hermes who used up Agi. A fiery explosion appeared in front of the Empress. Nothing happened. It wasn't damaged at all...

"Be careful...!" Minato shouted.

He pulled out his sword and charged at the attacker. The boy swung his sword, but it bounced off which made him fall on his back. Minato was able to get back up his feet easily, Yukari was able to recover too as she summoned Io yet again to provide support.

"Dammit! Are they invincible...?" Junpei tightened the grip on his weapon.

"We'll... Just have to use all attacks and see what would work!" Minato shouted at the three. They all nodded in unison and proceeded into their fighting stance.

* * *

><p><em>'No holding back now...<em>' The blue-haired boy took a deep breath as he put down his weapon.

Minato was covered in bruises. Well, to be exact, everyone else was, the worst being Mitsuru who can barely stand.

He took hold of his Evoker and slowly pointed it to his temple. The three had landed a lot of attacks for the past minute, but whenever they'd find the Shadow's weakness, the creatures would use this strange skill which immediately makes them impervious to attacks which formerly work on them. Judging from the current situation, their current levels were too low for these enemies. Even if the attack was effective, the damage taken by said Shadows were not as superior as they have expected.

Now, they're desperate if they want to survive.

His head throbbed. His heart thumped. His hands went icy cold... He felt as if he shouldn't do it... that something terrible will happen... He's gambling on this... hoping that his Persona (whatever it may be) might actually be of help...

As he held the gun in his shaking hand, a child's face appeared before his eyes... whispering...

"NO!" The group turned to the voice.

It was the masked girl who was running on their way, much to their surprise. She was being followed by lesser Shadows. Immediately, she turned around to eliminate them with a slash, but some of them managed to dodge.

"Don't do it...! Don't summon your Persona...!" she called out, still trying to fend off the rest of the Shadows.

But Minato... He was in a trance. It was as if he didn't hear anything. He had a maniacal smile on his face as he pulled the trigger.

"PERSONA..."

The shattering sound echoed. All eyes were on him.

_"Thou art I...and I am thou..._

_from the sea of thy soul, I come forth..._

_I am Orpheus...Master of Strings..."_

A silver haired humanoid figure appeared from behind, wielding a harp on its back. Not long after it had been summoned, Minato fell on his knees, clutching his head. He was screaming in pain. His companions tried to help out, only to be blocked by the two Arcana Shadows. The masked girl, on the other hand, watched the scene unfold. Despite wearing a mask, he visible eye showed a grim expression. Orpheus began agonizing like his master. Everyone saw it. His Persona was torn into pieces... and its head - ripped off by a black 'Persona'.

"What in the..." The crimson-dressed girl muttered in horror.

It wasn't the same black Persona which emerged from her. The head was the same, but the body was something like of The Reaper's, except for the fact that it was badly torn. It didn't have any revolvers, but it had its signature chains. This creature also emanated a dark aura similar to The Reaper in Tartarus. A more powerful and sinister aura... An aura of Death...

Before anyone can react, it suddenly charged at the two Shadows. The Empress was constricted with its chains, the Emperor tried to help. It swung its sword at the Persona, but the weapon was easily caught tangled in the chains of the 'Persona'. It then turned its attention to the Empress, and within a split second, the chains around it tightened to point of literally crushing the Shadow. Black smudges of its remains splattered everywhere, evaporating into a dark mist as it hit the ground. The next moment, it reared its head to the Emperor who was attempting to get his sword free. Two dark orbs of light which looked like glowing eyes emerged from the Persona's face. The remaining Shadow was immediately surrounded by a bright light which exploded in an instant, leaving no trace of the Emperor.

"RAAAGHHH!" The blue-haired boy shouted in pain, alarming everyone.

His Persona haven't disappeared. It turned to Mitsuru and Yukari...

"S-senpai... What is..." the junior cried.

"This is not good..." The senior bit her lip, she can barely stand from her previous encounter.

Yukari trembled, her eyes were filled with fear as the creature approached them. Every step closer felt like an eternity. They couldn't move. The aura it releases was so sinister that it had them frozen in their places.

"Minato-kun!" Junpei called out desperately, running toward their leader.

The boy was impulsive, but he knew he couldn't touch the rampaging 'Persona', so he resorted to approaching its owner. He grabbed his friend's shoulders and shook the boy with all his might.

"Snap out of it!" He shouted, constantly giving the 'Persona' a glance, but nothing's happening. The boy just continued screeching in pain. It felt as if his skull was being split into two.

"Dammit...! This never happened...!" The masked girl snarled under her breath and ran toward the crazy scene right after sweeping off the last of the little Shadows.

The 'Persona' aiming for the two girls... The cap-wearing teen trying to calm his friend- That wasn't supposed to happen. It never happened. In her case anyway. Could it be caused by her interference? But... That just makes no sense... The girl tried to shake off all her thoughts as she jumped in the middle of the girls and the creature. She pointed the stolen Evoker on her temple.

The next events happened in a flash... The creature called out an Maragidyne spell on three, causing a large fiery explosion. Junpei fell on his knees at the scene. It was covered with smoke, no way to know what happened to the girls.

"No..." He muttered under his breath.

The black 'Persona' disappeared right after using said spell. Minato had also collapsed on the cold ground afterward... unconscious...

Junpei watched as the smoke slowly wafted off...

A silhouette appeared from behind the smoke. It was the masked girl's. Not long after, the smoke cleared up. Behind her was Yukari who was supporting Mitsuru.

"S-senpai...! Yuka-tan...!" Junpei immediately stood up, ready to approach them, but Mitsuru shook her head and signaled the boy to take care of Minato first. He hesitated, but followed the senior's orders anyway. Not that he can help the two with anything...

"W-what happened...?" Yukari stood in disbelief.

The masked girl turned to her. "Makarakarn. I called Messiah and repelled it" She answered in a monotonous voice similar to Minato's.

The senior smiled and asked the junior to let her go by herself. Yukari hesitated, but gave up to her senior's request. Knowing Mitsuru, she wouldn't stop until she obtains her goal.

"Thank you for assisting us" She held her hand out to the masked girl, who responded by shaking her head and taking the red-head's hand, releasing it quickly afterwards.

"...Who are you...?" Yukari finally spoke.

The girl kept quiet and turned away from them, getting ready to leave.

She turned her head to the two.

"...Crimson. Call me Crimson..." she paused, "Please take care of him..." Crimson answered in a cold voice before running off...

* * *

><p><strong>510/09-Sunday**

"In the end, we weren't able to invite her to join..." Mitsuru sighed.

She was sitting on the 4th floor sofa while Yukari tried to patch her up with Dia. The atmosphere was rather gloomy. Junpei was sitting on the sofa across the girls', Akihiko was next to him. Ikutsuki was on the other sofa in between the two others.

It was 1:30am in the morning. Minato was sent to the hospital right after the Dark Hour ended. The others were also treated, but Mitsuru took the most damage from fighting two Shadows alone... Thanks to the use of Dia spells, she was able to recover much quickly.

"Well... Tonight's operation was a disaster... If not for her help" Ikutsuki added, turning to everyone else. No one responded.

"... Everyone may take their rest now. Mitsuru, I leave the rest to you. Haha... Get it? Rest?" The Chairman chuckled and immediately stopped after the silence. No one was obviously in the mood for a joke... Though, no one was always in for his jokes either way... He sighed, turning to Mitsuru before leaving everyone...

"About what happened to Arisato..." She spoke in her usual tone. All the attention was on the girl, "He will temporarily be suspended from operations until he gains proper control..."

Everyone stared at her. She was very hesitant on this decision, after all, his Persona did go out of hand, but it was also because of it that they were safe. Plus, it's not really the first time such thing happened... There was a worse case with an actual casualty...

"This was my fault... Iori was right..." She added in a saddened tone.

Yukari turned to Junpei. He was strangely quiet. He was complaining about Minato's leadership and the fact that he hadn't used any Persona before. Was this why he never called his Persona before? Did he know about it? After some more silence, Junpei stood up and left for his room. Yukari tried to stop him, but she didn't continue and left for her room herself, leaving the two seniors alone in a silence...

* * *

><p><strong>First off, thanks to those who reviewed~ <strong>^O^ <strong>(and yes, I answer questions, but I don't give out... actual spoilers :P)**

**Moving on... looks like we get a name for masked Minako now, ne~? **

**Oh, and if you're wondering why she came late, it was because she got stuck in a trance again.**

** She spaces out a lot, and this time, the shock of the sudden change of event was the cause. **

**Plus, there's those lesser *coughstalkercough* Shadows who stopped her along the way... **

**It's mostly because of the second reason though...**

**Btw, I'm kinda thinking of posting some teaser dialogues (of the next chap) at the end of each current chapter... is that okay or would you rather not be *coughmisledcough*spoiled? XP**

**********-None of Persona 3 or SMT series belong to me-**********


	10. Chapter 9: Just Another Day

_**Story so far: **_

**_She found herself back in the past... and what's more? She meets a twin brother whom she never knew existed... What's more is that he's currently handling her previous role as carrier of Death!_**

**_Hoping to change their fates, Minako took on the identity of a mysterious masked Persona-user, Crimson..._**

**_But... is this the right path to take?  
><em>**

**_And upon the arrival of the second full moon, things went worse... Events which never happened occurred... Death has manifested himself... In a different form..._**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Just Another Day<strong>

**5/13/09-Wednesday**

_'Should I keep up with this charade...? Do I have another choice...? I've already started this... but... I have to do this if I want to see him... It hurts having to lie... But I've decided to do this... That's the only way... For now...'_

"Tch... She's late..." The beanie-wearing teenager muttered under his breath, staring at his pocket watch.

He was standing in front of the ramen shop, ignoring the people passing by though some gave him a glance or two. It couldn't be helped since the young man was pretty eye-catching: he gave off the image of a punk–one who usually hangs out in dark alleys, possibly armed and typically avoided. His glaring eyes didn't help either. Still, he was a familiar face to some–known for eating at Hagakure every week. But, it was unusual to see him just standing around as if waiting for something to happen. A date perhaps? Those who knew of him giggled at the thought.

_'He's here? I'm glad... but should I even be here...?'_

"Onii-saaan~!" The girl waved her hand cheerfully, running towards him.

He scoffed at her in embarrassment. Some of the bystanders snickered at the scene, ignoring his dark scowl. It was an unusual sight to see: a cute teenaged girl, running towards a supposed punk-like hobo, and said man looked rather scared of her–if the way he tried to back off was any indication.

"You're really bored, aren't ya?" He grumbled at the girl who was now standing in front of him, huffing.

She looked straight at the him after catching her breath and smiled brightly, clutching his sleeve.

"Heh... And you're actually here." The girl chuckled.

Shinjiro's eyes widened at her response before he turned away from the girl and faced the shop's entrance, clearing his throat. "I told you. I'm here on Wednesdays..."

"Yes~ But you never said what time!" The girl giggled and wrapped her arm around his.

He was about to object to her actions, but she suddenly pulled him away to the opposite direction.

"What are you up to? Hagakure's this way, right in front of you, idiot."

"Let's eat at Wakatsu today! I heard they have their 'Healthy Platter Special' today~ " The girl continued without turning to him, pointing to said restaurant like a little child.

* * *

><p><em>'Minato-kun is in the hospital... He hasn't woken up yet... I know he would... but... maybe it'd be better to stay by his side...?'<em>

"Are you seriously a girl?" The young man stared at the auburn-haired girl who had the Healthy Platter Special, a banana split on the side and a now-empty bowl of corn soup.

He was already finished with his, but she just kept on ordering. Despite his harsh words, Shinjiro was quite happy on the inside as he watched her eat all of her veggies. Although it's not like she can escape from them: she knew how strict he was about eating healthily... Only a bunch of green peppers remained.

Minako stared at her food with lonesome eyes as she stabbed them with her fork.

_'Should I really be here?'_

"What's the matter?"

"Oh... Um... It's green..." She muttered, teary-eyed, before scooping the monstrosity into her mouth.

Her face twisted because of the bitterness. But that wasn't the real reason. After all, if Minako could survive Fuuka's cooking, then vegetables were nothing. The truth was... she was thinking about the recent events... The peppers were just an excuse.

Her companion sighed and pointed at the vegetables.

"You keep complaining but you keep eating them anyway..." He sighed again, smiling for a moment afterwards. She didn't see it though. Her mind was wandering about somewhere else, thinking about the Dark Hour.

"..."

She remained silent, as if she didn't hear Shinjiro's words. Her mind was drifting off, trying to figure everything out. Minako picked up another piece and popped it into her mouth.

_'And what is this reality thing about...?'_

"Tch. Don't judge it by its appearance. Just eat."

"Isn't that what I'm doing?" She finally snapped back after hearing his rough voice.

It was music to her ears... The whole reason she met up with him on this day was because she had hoped to get her mind off of her problems for a while. Or, better yet, so that she would find an answer. Somehow, his presence always gave her a soothing feeling. Plus, he's treating her so she gets to save lunch money. Minako never passes up such opportunities.

"Yeah... But you eat too much. Are you a kid or something?"

"Hey~ I need all the energy I could get! Besides, onii-san is paying so I'd better jump on this opportunity!" She pouted, turning to him, before returning to her half-finished meal.

The man sighed, fidgeting through his pockets. "Could you drop the 'onii-san' shit?" He added while searching for something in his pea coat. _'Why am I putting up with this kid again...? If I could get rid of this thing, she'll be outta my way...' _The teenaged male pulled something out but immediately put it back after giving the girl a quick glance. From the start, he hesitated to take it out... Whatever it was.

"... No can do~! People might misunderstand..." She finally answered, pushing her plate away as she started on her dessert. _'Although... that would be pretty interesting~' _She thought, grinning to herself while burying into the ice cream.

Her words and actions were the opposite of her thoughts. Speaking of which... could it be the same for her twin? His expressions are always so blank... Who knows what's going on in that mind of his...?

Minako ate the sweet treat slowly, savoring each and every bite while making kitty-cat and puppy-dog expressions.

"Fine. It doesn't matter anyway..." He answered bitterly.

The girl stared at him innocently, making him flinch. There was another moment of silence between the two when they suddenly heard a distressed voice.

"Oh no! This is bad... Real bad...! Can you contact any of them?" The manager spoke with a female employee.

He was in his thirties and was wearing a neat white polo shirt with a name tag attached to the left side of his chest. The man had neat black hair and was wearing a pair of square-shaped glasses over his dark eyes. He looked troubled as he spoke. Speaking of which, it seemed like there were a lot of people still waiting for their orders. Since Minako and Shinjiro were sitting close to the counter, they had heard a part of the conversation.

"Um... Excuse me... What's the matter?" Minako asked, peering at the two adults.

Shinjiro laid low as if he was trying not to be noticed.

"No worries, ma'am... It's a minor problem... We just lack people today. That's all." He smiled at the girl, assuring her. She didn't seem convinced though.

"Oh, then I'll help!" The girl stood up after taking a final bite of her ice cream. "And onii-san can help too!" At those words, the teenager almost jumped up.

The manager took a peek at the boy and smiled delightfully, clapping his hands together.

"Aragaki-san? You were here? This is great! Yamamoto, the chef had an emergency, which made this mess!"

Upon hearing that, Shinjiro immediately stood up with his usual stoic expression. He quickly removed his pea coat and threw it at the girl who accepted it with a hint of confusion.

"Tch. You should've said so in the first place." He answered in a gruff tone and headed toward the kitchen.

Dumbfounded, Minako simply stood there and watched as the male left.

_'Wait– What? Am I missing something here...?'_

She turned to the manager who smiled at her apologetically.

"Sorry for interrupting the two of you... He's a part-timer here. It's not his shift, but it looks like I ended up forcing him to work..."

_'Whoa... He works here? I didn't know about that...' _The red-eyed girl smiled and shook her head. She turned to the man with eyes filled with determination. "It's okay! I'm the one who sort of pushed him into this in the first place... So, what do I do?"

* * *

><p><em>'Focus! Right now, you're an ordinary girl...! Don't think about Minato-kun... or the Dark Hour! Think about it some other time... Just... Have fun... Come on... This is a second chance...'<em>

The two began helping out. Minako changed into the restaurant's uniform and took orders. Her male companion was in the kitchen, skillfully multitasking on the chopping, boiling, frying and whatnot. It was a busy day, but both of did pretty well–even Minako! (Although that was most likely thanks to her previous part-time experiences.) By the time they finished, it was already dark. She sighed and slumped into a chair.

"... I'm hungry..." Minako muttered, holding her tummy as it groaned quietly when a plate of sweet-and-sour pork was suddenly placed in front of her. She looked up to see who put it there. It was Shinjiro. He smiled at her–to the girl's surprise.

"That's on the house. The old man told me to give it to you..." He muttered. Minako beamed and took a peek at the manager who smiled back at her and nodded. "What about you...?"

"... I'm getting a bonus."

"Oh. Good... Er... Sorry for dragging you into this..." She scratched her head before pulling the plate closer to her and getting started on it. _'Yum! Just as I remembered it~ And more~!' _The young woman smiled gleefully as she ate the meal slowly. Minako was smiling but, for a moment, she let out a sigh.

"... Spit it out."

"Huh...? Why would I? It tastes goo-"

"That's not what I meant, you idiot." Shinjiro avoided looking directly at her. She stared at him with wide eyes until their eyes locked onto one another.

Finally, Minako sighed and twiddled with her fork. "... You worry too much..." She let out a sigh again.

He flinched, but she didn't notice it since she was focusing on her food.

"It's... just... I've got to do something that only I can do... and... more problems keep piling up, y'know...?" She added with her eyes still on the food. Her cheerful eyes seemed to be just as sad as it was a moment ago.

Shinjiro stood up as the girl watched him approach her. He ruffled her hair much to her surprise.

"Tch. Is that all? You said it yourself. Only you can do it, so you can do it." He paused and turned away from her before continuing. "And if doing it alone is no good... You can always approach... others for help." Minako blushed and nodded, turning her attention back to the food.

"T-Thanks..." Minako answered shyly. "I'll make sure to turn to Shinjiro-nii-san then..." She added, making the teenager's face burn a bit red. He pulled down his beanie to hide his face.

"Idiot." He scoffed at her, to which she replied with a chuckle.

A moment later, they finally settled down in a moment of laughter. She was savoring every bite so much that she failed to notice the beanie-wearer's gaze on her. He seemed to enjoy watching her eat...

_'Thank you... And... I'm... Sorry... I have to lie... I wish I could tell you everything... I wish things will be like this forever... but this is what I'm protecting in the first place... right...?'_

* * *

><p>"Thank you very much! Especially you Aragaki-san! I hope to see you this Sunday!" The old man bowed at the two as they stood just outside of the shop.<p>

Minako smiled and bowed back.

"Yeah..." Shinjiro answered, avoiding the manager's eyes.

The older man smiled and waved before returning inside to close up. The sky was already dark since it was already 10:00 PM. It wasn't too far from the Dark Hour... But Minako was still smiling like an idiot as she watched the building lights in the area close one by one. Finally, the girl spun around and faced Shinjiro. She gave him her usual bright smile, which somehow caught him off guard.

"Thank you for today, Shinjiro-nii-san! See ya next week~!" She finally spoke and waved as she turned away.

"Hey." He called out.

She was only a few meters away from him when he called for her attention. She turned back to him with a confused look on her face. Shinjiro reached into his pocket and brought something out. It was the same thing he was trying to bring out earlier.

"Here. Don't lose it again..." He threw her a pink, rectangular object that she was able to easily catch–all thanks in part to her training in Tartarus. Not only did her fighting abilities improve, but her athletic abilities did as well.

It was her wallet.

"O-Onii-san...? Where...?"

"Don't ask and just go. It's late" He answered bluntly. The girl giggled and ran towards him, hugging him without warning. "...!"

"Shinjiro-onii-san is the best~!" She chuckled, finally letting go of the now-flustered male.

"I'll be the one treating you next time, okay?" She winked before running off...

"Tch... So much for getting rid of her..." He muttered to himself. Still, the beanie-wearer smiled gently as he watched her disappear into the dark night...

"You're a real piece of work..." He sighed to himself, shaking his head. "...I'll be looking forward to it then..." Shinjiro whispered to himself as he walked away...

* * *

><p><strong>515/09-Friday**

"Akihiko-senpai! Wanna walk home together?" The red-eyed girl ran towards the senior.

Girls who saw her glared, but she managed to ignore them. Although, it would probably be better to say that she simply didn't take notice of them–as per usual. Akihiko stared at her and brushed his hand through his hair, feeling a bit awkward. Sure, they live under one roof, but they weren't really close... and after what happened to her brother...

"Uh... Sure. I have to talk to you about something too anyway." He answered her awkwardly.

The girl nodded in response.

The two went to Hagakure and Akihiko ordered two large specials. They were sitting in the same spot that Shinjiro and Minako did almost a week ago.

"About your brother..."

"Yeah... Mitsuru-senpai said he went sleepwalking again... We'd better tie him up at night..." She joked, following it up with a chuckle.

Minako knew it was a lie, but she had to pretend to not know anything.

"Y-Yeah..." The senior replied hesitantly.

Their orders arrived a short while later. The two ate in an awkward silence. Minako was deep in thought about what happened that she forgot to mind the way she was eating. The girl ate the ramen the way she always did: fast and furious.

_'Normally, I'd say his condition is not normal... but...' _She sighed and slurped away her last noodle and drank all of the remaining soup, leaving a clean bowl.

Akihiko looked stunned that she had managed to finish it that quick, not noticing the girl's dilemma.

"Hey, you finished the whole thing!"

"What?"

"Other girls can't seem to finish the large. Eating a complete meal keeps your strength up! So you should always eat your meals so that you can fight... t-through your day!" The senior paused, looking embarrassed.

He almost slipped up. He had forgotten that he was talking to a girl and not a fellow boxer or a member of S.E.E.S. Why did he ever agree to come with her? The truth was that he wanted to tell the girl about Minato. In the end though, he couldn't... Her brother was risking his life almost every night and she 'doesn't know it'. Not that she'd easily believe him, but he was hoping to indirectly tell her about S.E.E.S. He felt guilty. And so did she. They were both lying.

"So, why'd you ask me today?" The silver-haired male asked as he wiped his lips clean with a handkerchief.

Minako leaned back a little and stared at the ceiling. She was fidgeting with her fingers as she spoke.

"I wanted you to treat me~" She answered in a playful tone.

The senior wasn't able to pick it up though and his eyes widened as he stared at the girl.

"Hey~ Just kidding!" She turned to him and stuck her tongue out before sighing and continuing. "Well... Minato-kun is out... Junpei and Yukari are busy with their own things and Mitsuru-senpai has some business to attend to... and I don't really like being alone..." She looked down at the floor with a sad smile on her face.

The senior bit his lip and felt more guilty. Should he tell her? Minato was the closest family she had left... and he knew what it felt like to lose someone...

"T-That's... Your br-"

"So I'm glad you came here with me! I have a friend who hangs out with me every now and then, but he's only available on certain days..." She chuckled, trying to ignore what Akihiko was about to say.

The senior almost flinched when she spoke but, after hearing what she had to say, he smiled and felt a lot calmer upon hearing that she's alright.

It was the second time that year that her brother was sent to the hospital. Why did she ask him out in the first place? Well... Honestly speaking, no one was free but him so the senior was the only one she could be around. Not to mention that they haven't had the chance to get close to each other, especially since they used to be quite close (in her _other_ realityanyway)... She used to be very close with everyone but, now, they seemed so distant... Akihiko had lifted up her spirit when the tragedy occurred. They comforted each other so she felt like hanging out with him after what had happened–and since her _friend_ wasn't available.

"About this friend of yours... I guess it's a guy?" Akihiko smiled at her as they exited the shop.

Minako was casually swinging her bag as they walked. There were some girls from their school who saw them together and their eyes were filled with envy. Not that they can do anything about it since the two live in the same dorm... which was where they were headed to now.

"A-Ah... Y-Yes... He's... nice." She avoided the senior's eyes and stared down the ground.

Her face was a bit red. She knew he knows him but he didn't know that so it felt awkward to talk about it...

"Haha... If that's what you say, then I bet he is. If he's not around, then you can always come to me... I'm available on Mondays and Fridays though I usually train on those days too. But I can spare my time for you." He raised his fist in front of him and clenched it tightly.

_'Same as ever...' _Minako chuckled. "Okay then! I'll do my best to keep up with Senpai!" She answered with confidence, turning to him with a bright smile.

He smiled back and began jogging his way to the dorm, which Minako mimicked, much to the senior's delight.

* * *

><p><strong><strong><strong>So... how do you think her actually gets to live by without money? Of course he'd need a job :P<strong>****

******And thus, I kicked him to Wakatsu.******

******Anyway, I wasn't sure how to get Akihiko in the picture... he has to at some point XD******

**But I'm not sure how he'd interact with a girl who's not a member of SEES... Though she is the supposedly innocent sister of a SEES member... so yea :D/+1 to Minako's harem/shot/**

**Ps. On the side note, I have a new poll up~ It's just for fun though, feel free to check it out XD**

**********-None of Persona 3 or SMT series belong to me-**********


	11. Chapter 10: Tests, Shrine and Persona

**Chapter 10: Tests, Shrine and Persona**

**5/10/09-Sunday**

"So you're saying I lose my potential on days of the full moon?" The red-eyed girl slammed her fist on the table.

Igor simply grinned at the girl while the male attendant nodded at her. She sighed and massaged her temples before turning back to the old man. "About his awakening... Death... He was different. What's happening? Was it because I stopped him from summoning it on the first full moon?" She asked again with her face wrapped in a serious expression. Her eyes stared intently at the older man.

The attendant furrowed a brow and spoke in place of Igor. "I am afraid we are not in the place to provide such answers."

Minako glared at him. "Quiet, Theo. I'm not talking to you."

He flinched and fell silent.

"I understand your frustration, but we wish that you bear with us. Our sole purpose is but to assist you. Now, please, if you will... " Igor signaled for her to leave the place by gesturing at the exit. His voice didn't sound distressed or angry... but he did sound rather worn out.

With the girl coming to them and giving crazy, unreasonable requests... It was no wonder that he'd get mad... though he seemed to be more in a hurry than angry. It was the first time he's done this... She is a guest, right? Although, technically, she did force him to let her be one... Had it been Theo who asked her to leave, she'd ignore it, but since it's Igor...

"Please... Do not take this the wrong way. It is just that we are expecting another guest." He continued as if reading her thoughts.

The girl's confusion suddenly faded and she sighed in relief. For a moment there, Minako had thought that she'd be the first guest to experience the old man's anger. Not that she knew of any other guest anyway.

_'Hold on... other guest...?'_

"... Minato-kun, I presume?" She asked.

The two nodded at her. Minako sighed and finally stood up. At first it seemed as if she were getting ready to leave, but she suddenly came to a halt and crossed her arms stubbornly.

"I'm not leaving until you give me answers! Anything would do... please..." She demanded in a desperate tone.

The two residents looked at each other–Theodore with a furrowed brow and Igor with his trademark grin. Finally, the long-nosed goblin closed his eyes and opened his mouth.

"We have already provided all that you require during our first encounter but... very well..." He paused. "The answer which you seek is one that is forgotten, but not forever lost. Locked, but can be set free. A lie and yet the truth." Igor spoke in a mysterious tone. "Search the heart, find yourself, and cherish the moments, only then will the keys reveal themselves..."

Minako looked confused and pondered on it. That didn't make any sense to her. Why does he always have to speak in riddles? Seriously. They just make things more complicated than they should be...

From the look of it, she won't be getting any more information out of them other than that. In fact, she was already kind of pushing it with them... Then again, they were the only two who knew of her other existence... That is, her past and existence as the previous Great Seal. It was only natural that she'd take out all of her frustrations in the Velvet room.

_'Now I kinda feel guilty...' S_he sighed to herself.

"… Thanks anyway..." Minako finally smiled and opened the exit. "Oh yeah. Don't tell Minato-kun about me..." She added before leaving.

_'... Things keep piling up... I've already decided to do this... I can do it...!'_

* * *

><p><strong>517/09-Sunday**

_'Igor... Elizabeth... The Velvet Room... Haven't seen that for some time now...'_

He stared up at the hospital ceiling with a blank gaze.

It was an early Sunday morning, about a week after the full moon incident. During the time that he was asleep, the boy had dreamed about this blue room. The _'residents' _there seemed to know him real well.

He closed his silver eyes in an effort to fall back asleep when a loud bang erupted from the door, making him turn to its direction.

"Good morning, Minato-kun~! I bet you're already awake?"

It was just the person he had wanted to see. Her reddish-brown hair, her crimson-red eyes and her bright smile... She was the perfect medicine for him. He was about to stand, but quickly stopped after feeling a strange pain throb from his backside. How long had he been out? What had happened? All he could remember was using the Evoker... and then... everything else was blank...

"How did you know I was awake?" He asked in a weak voice. It felt rather raspy.

The girl sat down on a chair beside his bed and set down a basket of red apples on the table beside him. She took out a bottle of water and offered it to the boy. There was no way he would refuse that.

"Erm... Cause we're tw- Coincidence?" She stumbled on her words.

If she were to say that it was because they're twins, then he's sure to preen from it... One way or the other... Minako just knew that she had woken up eight days after her awakening, so she had figured that it must be the same for him.

The boy was able to finish the whole bottle in one round. He turned back to the girl and gently smiled at her–much to her shock. She's not yet used to seeing his different expressions.

"... How long was I out...?" He finally asked.

The girl brushed through her bangs and avoided eye contact before answering.

"A week. Tomorrow's our test." She answered innocently.

The boy looked down with a solemn face. Minako stared at him. Something seemed wrong about the way he was acting... Suddenly, a sly smile emerged on the girl's lips. She turned to the boy and spoke in a sing-song voice.

"If you get in the top ten for the exams, I'll cook for you for a week~"

Upon hearing those words, the boy suddenly straightened up and grabbed her hands with a serious expression.

"DEAL. I'm looking forward to it...!" He answered with confidence.

But... Could he do it...? He was out for a week, he didn't study and he was always asleep in class... Well, in any case, that wasn't not the point... At least his mind was off of the Dark Hour now, right? Deep inside, Minako smiled for him...

* * *

><p>"Good afternoon, Manager-san~!" She greeted cheerfully.<p>

Today, Minako was wearing her casual clothes. But what was curious about her appearance was that she was carrying some sort of box-shaped object wrapped in pretty pink-colored cloth. The man she had greeted turned to her baggage and then to her cheerful face before smiling.

"Good afternoon to you too, Arisato-chan! I'm still very grateful for your help last time... What brings you here today?"

"Well~ Is Onii-san around? I kinda promised to treat him!"

"Oh, Aragaki-san? Hold on a minute. It's almost his break anyway." He waved at the girl and entered the kitchen. Discreetly, Minako peeked inside. And there was Shinjiro, wearing a pure white chef's outfit–complete with a toque.

_'Ohoho~ What's this~? The tux was something... but this is cute too! Now... If only I can get him in a swimsuit...' _The girl thought with a wicked grin on her face. In her mind, she was already beginning to formulate ideas for her devious plans...

Apparently, Minako had quite a habit of dressing up her members in different costumes for Tartarus explorations back when she had been the field leader for SEES. From maid outfits to swimsuits... they just couldn't say no, especially since her arguments had been valid. Two of her usual victims were Shinjiro, who (somehow) could never say no to her requests, and Akihiko, who was honestly made to believe that the outfits increased his fighting prowess...

As she reminisced about her own past, the manager continued speaking with Shinjiro, most likely informing him that it was break time. The boy nodded and took off his attire, changing back into his usual pea coat. He headed out of the kitchen and almost bumped into the small figure patiently waiting just outside.

"Hi!" His face flushed red in surprise upon seeing the girl.

He was completely caught off-guard... He quickly looked around and pulled down his beanie while he forcefully dragged her out of the restaurant.

"What are you doing here!?" He asked gruffly, making the girl pout at him before immediately smiling back. She shoved her baggage into the boy's arms. It was warm.

"I promised to treat you, right~? So here I am!" Minako winked at him.

Shinjiro inspected the 'thing' that she had handed him. It smelled like food. Yup... Definitely a bento...

"That's not what I meant, you idiot... I mean, why the hell are you here? It's Sunday and... what's with this...?"

"I have a sharper attention than you think! Now, c'mon, you don't wanna waste good food, right?"

This time, it was the girl who dragged him. He could've gotten free of her since he was physically stronger...

But he didn't.

* * *

><p>Soon, the two arrived at the shrine and Minako pointed out a spot under the tree. Shinjiro paused, but his hesitation was ignored as she dragged him, yet again, towards it.<p>

"Tch... You shoulda at least told me beforehand..." He muttered under his breath, but Minako heard him and giggled, making him feel rather embarrassed again. It seems like no matter what, he'll always feel embarrassed around her...

"How could I...? You never gave me your number." She stared at him suspiciously when he suddenly turned away from her. "... Don't tell me... You don't have a phone...?"

She hit the nail right on the head.

"I don't need any of that shit." He defended himself.

She couldn't help but laugh at him, making him feel rather foolish. But really, even if he did have a phone, it wouldn't have much use. The only contact he had was Akihiko... and that guy could be pretty annoying sometimes... Thus, owning a phone was unnecessary. In fact, it may even turn out to be a burden.

"Just shut up and eat." He finally spoke and took out the lunch box.

Minako had a hard time stopping her laughter. It's wasn't really that funny, but...

_'Hahaha! He's so cute...!'_

* * *

><p>She had brought three boxes that day. One had fish and rice, the other had chicken and the last one had omelet; all three had similar vegetable side dishes of carrots and corn. It was a simple meal in all actuality. Minako took the omelet while Shinjiro took the fish and they began eating.<p>

"... Did you really make this?" He said, staring at the food.

"Hm? Of course! I woke up early just to do it~!" She smiled, picking up her chopsticks.

"Heh... The way you arranged them... looks as if it was done by a six-year-old." He chuckled, teasing the girl.

True enough, it was a mess... in fact, it looked as if she simply shoved everything into the container.

"I-It's the taste that counts, okay...?!" The girl blushed as she puffed out her cheeks.

"Whatever you say..." He smirked before continuing to eat.

The two continued to talk about stuff as they ate though... technically, it was actually Minako who did all of the talking. She told him about her clubs, her silly brother and her friends. During the whole time, he simply stayed quiet and listened with an unchanging expression... Still, at times, he seemed to give off a sad expression...

"Your parents are gonna freak out if they discover that you're hanging out with someone like me, y'know." Shinjiro suddenly spoke after picking up a carrot. The girl quietly watched as he shoved it in his mouth.

"My mom and dad are gone." She finally answered after swallowing her food.

His eyes widened at her response.

"Ugh..." He kept quiet, feeling guilty for bringing it up.

Now that she mentioned it, when she had said that everyone back home was busy, he had thought that she meant her parents were always busy when in fact...

"Hey! Don't worry about it! I'm all over it." She chuckled before taking another bite. "It's not like I live alone! My dormmates are all nice... even if they're always busy... besides..." She paused for a while and put down her chopsticks. Minako drew closer to the male and continued. "Onii-san is here for me!" Minako's words shook him up inside and his face burned up in a bright tint of red.

"S-Shut up and just eat!" He tried hiding it with the lunch box.

The girl giggled at his reaction.

"Yes, yes... You said that already..." She giggled again and returned to her position before picking up her chopsticks to resume eating.

There was a short awkward atmosphere around them when a certain someone suddenly stole both of their attentions–a white fur ball was approaching them. His red eyes resembled Minako's in all their brightness. At the sight of the canine, the girl's equally crimson-colored eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Koro-chan! I missed you, buddy!" She held out her arms, readying herself to be glomped by the dog.

At first, he hesitated. Koromaru didn't know her... but she did seem nice... And so, he glomped her anyway. His nuzzled her affectionately while wagging his tail.

"Want one~?" She picked up a piece of chicken and offered it to the canine, who accepted it happily.

Shinjiro watched as Minako enjoyed herself with the dog.

"You know each other?" He finally spoke.

Minako's expression froze. It looks like she had gotten a bit carried away. She wasn't supposed to know him... Good thing dogs can't speak.

"Ah... Er... Kinda...?" She answered, avoiding the male's eyes.

He merely shrugged. At least she had forgotten about their conversation a moment ago.

* * *

><p>Time flew by so fast that the two barely noticed that break was almost over. Shinjiro helped her with the cleanup and packed away the boxes as they readied themselves to leave.<p>

"Hey... I can't come this Wednesday... I have an exam... So don't wait for me, okay?" She smiled while waving at her companion just as he was about to return to work.

"Tch. Not like I'm gonna wait there like an idiot... " He chuckled while the dog sat in a corner, wagging his tail happily.

"Who knows... You might..." She added, up and ready to go back to the dorms. "Oh, and expect to see me on Sundays from now on!" She giggled, patting the dog's head and smiling at him before running off, waving her final goodbye for the day.

"What am I? A babysitter...?" He sighed with a faint smile on his face before walking his way back to Wakatsu...

* * *

><p><strong>518-23/09 - Monday-Saturday...**

During the following days, Minako simply reviewed a bit for the up and coming exams–mostly on what she knew would be on them. As expected, she answered everything easily! And what was more was that she could now answer those that she had previously made a mistake on. Of course, during the Dark Hour, she had also continued exploring Tartarus in order to stay in shape and clear up the floors for everyone else whenever they decide to explore it. Even with the defeat of the Emperor and the Empress, only the first half of the Arqa block was currently available... Again, they won't be expecting any guardians this time around.

As for Minato... He took the test calmly. No one knew if he really did a secret study routine going on since he had locked himself up in his room every time that he had the chance to.

Junpei always claimed that he was studying though everyone doubted that. Like Minato, he was cooped up in his room the whole time. Whether he was studying, sleeping or playing games, no one knew... Regardless, whenever the blue-haired boy was around, there would be some sort of tension in the air... as if he were avoiding their suspended leader. Yukari and Minako couldn't do anything about it though since they couldn't disturb him in his 'study'.

* * *

><p><strong>523/09-Saturday, Dark Hour**

"Arisato. Are you ready?" The elegant redhead asked that night. Besides her was Ikutsuki and to his left was Akihiko.

The small group was right outside of the dormitory, which would serve as their testing area–complete with special equipment surrounding them. Some of the machines were connected to the boy by wires on his hands, wrists, arms and waist. They were programmed to scan him for different parameters such as the condition of his Persona whereas others were designed to suppress him in case something were to happen again. It was to be used as a last resort though.

Minato nodded his head confidently with the Evoker in hand. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The boy could feel the cold touch of steel press against his head and, even though he knew that it was not a real gun, he couldn't help but feel nervous. It felt so real. Although it wasn't really his first time, it might as well be since the first was a disaster... No one told him the whole story though. All they said was that he had lost control. No one informed him about the part where he almost got Yukari and Mitsuru hurt...

_'I don't feel it anymore... This shouldn't be bad...' _At that thought, his trembling fingers began to relax. He opened his silver eyes and pulled the trigger at last...

"PERSONA!"

The familiar sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the sickly green night. The harp-wielding humanoid figure appeared behind him. So far, so good... No pain or anything... Orpheus just floated there, doing nothing, much to everyone's relief.

"Arisato, try attacking." Mitsuru commanded, pointing to a machinery.

It looked like some sort of steel plate with an antenna on top and it was connected to a green screen about the size of the ones in the command room. As of now, it was a blank screen. The blue-haired boy nodded and commanded his Persona to perform Agi. As soon as the blast hit the plate, information began showing onscreen and his Persona disappeared as well.

"Very good." Ikutsuki nodded and approached the screen, followed by Mitsuru from behind. Akihiko approached Minato and patted his shoulder.

"So, how does it feel?" The silver-haired senior asked.

"... Nothing in particular." He answered with his usual calm expression.

Akihiko smiled and gave him a weak punch in the shoulder.

"Good then. Don't force yourself... Your sister will worry about you." He added, clenching his fist.

"I know..." Minato simply nodded at the senior, still with a blank expression in his face.

Akihiko gave him a faint smile as they stared at each other. Although the blue-haired boy looked back at the senior without any expression, he was inwardly curious about his upperclassman's actions.

"You know... I had someone important to me too... but I wasn't strong enough to protect her..." The silver-haired boy finally spoke, breaking the silence of the night. Mitsuru and the Chairman were still busy analyzing and taking down information from the machine and thus they failed to pay attention to the two. "I don't want you to repeat the same mistake I made... So you have to promise to become stronger... for her sake."

Minato kept quiet as usual and closed his silver eyes for a short moment before turning his gaze to the pale moon.

"... You don't have to tell me that... That was my resolution ever since... _that _night..." He wore a sad smile as he spoke. The blue-haired boy turned back to Akihiko, still holding that smile on his face. "Even though she might not remember me... I will fight for her..." He shook his head and faced the boxer with eyes full of determination. "No... For everyone..."

"Tch... I guess it was the right choice to pick you as the leader after all..." The senior nodded to himself.

Silver eyes widened in surprise at his words.

"... I'm... still the leader then...? Even after what happened?" His asked in a low and unsure voice.

Akihiko turned to him with eyes brimming with confidence. "As Mitsuru have said before, you have what it takes to be a leader... Your resolution to protect... That is what makes a good leader... though that doesn't mean we're lifting your suspension just yet."

Minato laughed dryly at his senpai's comment and turned away from him without uttering another word. Akihiko simply grinned in response. Even without speaking, it felt as though they fully understood each other... The cold night was wrapped in silence. Only the sounds of the machinery and the murmurs of the other two could be heard.

A minute later, the redhead turned to Minato and headed his way with a small grin on her face.

"The results show stability so far, even better than we had hoped... but we will be continuing our tests just to make sure." She smiled at the boy. "From what we know thus far, you'll be back in action in due time." The senior added.

Minato smiled at her, much to her surprise... Did something happen to him...? She shrugged and turned to Akihiko, who spoke to her about the field leader's position. Ikutsuki proceeded with continuing the tests while the two talked throughout the night...

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah... It's dull<strong> **and all... Not much stuff happening...** **  
><strong>

**In any case... if anyone's going ooc, just tell me... I'll try to make adjustments XP**

**To be honest, before I started making this fic, that's one of my biggest worries ^^"**

**So... yeah... would be a great help to get suggestions on that if any XD**

**ps. Didn't re-check this after my final edits... so yeah. Don't be afraid to message me if you find mistakes ;P**

**********-None of Persona 3 or SMT series belong to me-**********


	12. Chapter 11: This is Not a Game

**Chapter 11: This is Not a Game**

**5/24/09-Sunday**

"I'm home~!" An auburn-haired girl cheerfully called out as she slammed the door open.

This caught the attention of everyone in the dormitory lounge, mainly, Akihiko, Minato and Yukari as they turned to her. The silver-haired one was sitting on the sofa, reading some sort of sports magazine. Besides him was her quiet twin, who was blowing on an instant cup of ramen. And as for the mentioned female, she was on her way upstairs. All of the lights were on since it was a Sunday night.

Earlier that morning, Minako hadn't had much time with anyone since everyone had had their own 'business' that they had needed to attend to: Akihiko with his training, Yukari with her shopping, Mitsuru with her family company, Junpei with his usual hang out area and Minato with his random excursions. As for the red-eyed girl, she was out pestering a certain beanie-wearing punk. Not that anyone really knew about it...

"Oh, you're back." The senior had turned to her and smiled, lowering his magazine for the moment. Minato turned his silver eyes to her, showing a hint of happiness on his usually placid face; he was slurping up his noodles when he waved at the girl. Yukari stopped in her tracks for a moment and greeted her friend before heading back up.

"...Where were you?" Her brother finally asked monotonously after swallowing his meal. The girl closed the door and skipped towards him, sitting in between him and the senior.

"Wakatsu. I was with a friend!" She answered cheerfully with a bright smile on her face. The boy nodded in response, seemingly in relief.

Akihiko grinned behind his magazine after hearing her response. _'Must be the friend she mentioned to me... I'm glad she's having fun...'_

"So... Do you think you passed?" The girl asked as she fidgeted with her orange checkered-skirt. She avoided his eyes but tried to steal a quick glance regardless, curious on how he looked. He had a smirk on his face.

"You'd better prepare this week." He chuckled before resuming on his meal.

_'He looks confident' _Minako sighed. _'But I only told him that to take his mind off of the Dark Hour... Looks like I have to wake up early this week...'_

While pondering, a familiar figure had descended down the stairs. Turning, the red-eyed girl saw it to be her cheerful friend, Junpei. Minako waved to him, giving him her usual bright smile.

"Junpei-kun!" She greeted him enthusiastically, "Haven't seen you in a while!" The boy just smiled weakly at her and raised his hand as if waving. But he paused the moment he caught sight of her twin. In that instance, Minako could have sworn that she saw him give her brother an utterly disgusted look. Akihiko peeked out from under the magazine and his eye twitched at the tension. The atmosphere between Junpei and Minato had worsened since that night though it was more on the former's side since the latter was quite oblivious to it...

"I'm gonna grab a bite outside..." Junpei said bitterly and immediately exited through the door without another word. Minako tilted her head in confusion as the senior sighed quietly. She turned to Minato, who looked even more clueless, and then to Akihiko who buried his face under his magazine in avoidance.

'_Don't tell me that he's still not over that?' _Minako shook her head. _'... I'd better watch them... Especially in Tartarus...' _She sighed at the mere thought of it. Silver eyes turned to her worriedly, but returned to his meal after seeing that nothing was outwardly wrong. The red-eyed girl suddenly stood up and dusted off her clothes.

"Well, I'm turning in for tonight... See you tomorrow... And good luck with the test results!" The girl turned to Akihiko and winked at him playfully. "You too senpai~!" She chuckled.

"...Yeah." Minato smiled and stood, putting down his now-empty cup. He looked rather disappointed that she had left so quickly. He was kind of hoping that she'd lean on his shoulder and fall asleep against him... or something of the sort anyway. It could've been the other way around and he would've been happy... Either one in general would've been nice. "I have to go somewhere..." He added, turning to his senpai.

"Thanks. Good luck to you too." The silver-haired teen had lowered his reading material to answer the girl before turning to her twin with a puzzled look. "What about you? Where are you going?"

"... To console a monk..." He answered with his usual blank expression, hands in his pockets. Akihiko stared at him suspiciously before finally shrugging it off and returning to his magazine...

* * *

><p><strong>525/09-Monday, Dark Hour**

"Seriously? He's still the leader?" The cap-wearing teenager shouted in surprise. Yukari and Mitsuru sighed as they watched the lanky male ramble. Minato had been appointed leader once more. He was still getting ready and was on his way to the entrance of Tartarus along with Akihiko. Apparently, the boy had overslept and the senior had had a hard time getting him up, so everyone else went on ahead of them.

"He almost got you guys killed! And you're okay with that?!" He added in a frustrated tone.

The two girls couldn't disagree with his point, but Akihiko was sure about passing the field leader position to the blue-haired boy. He had talked to Mitsuru about it too and she had agreed with him. Besides, with the tests that they had performed on him, it was discovered that he was a Wild Card, having the ability to summon and carry multiple Personas and switch between them during battle. It was dismissed as a theory that it was because of this ability itself that his Persona had rampaged. Rather, they had theorized that it was because he had held multiple Personas for a long time without using them that he hadn't been able to control the sudden burst of power. Now that it had been released, he no longer poses as a threat. Plus, the results of the tests showed that he could now control his Personas without a problem. Thus, even though his suspension hasn't been lifted yet, they hoped to try his skills out in the field.

"Stop being so childish, Stupei! The past is the past. And we weren't the only ones hurt that night, you know." Yukari finally spoke to the fuming teenager.

"Takeba's right. Arisato stayed in the hospital for a week. He had experienced the most damage among us." The student president added with her usual stern tone. Junpei snorted in response and the two sighed.

He had been acting distant from Minato since that incident, even going as far as avoiding him in general. As for Minato, he had been too focused on his last-minute study sessions that he hadn't even noticed the hostility directed at him. They understood his point though... That event was disastrous... They were lucky that Crimson had been there that night and was able to save them. Then again, they would've been equally doomed had Minato not called out his Persona.

Minato didn't take as much physical damage as Mitsuru had, but his awakening had him stay in the hospital for a long time, which meant that the summoning process had really hurt him mentally–to the point that his memories of that whole event had been erased.

* * *

><p>"Let's stick together. This floor is unexplored... We can't risk jumping into danger." The leader commanded in a monotonous yet strong voice. Yukari and Akihiko nodded, but Junpei didn't respond. As usual, he was giving their leader the silent treatment... And said leader didn't even notice.<p>

The group explored the new block. It was different from the first one; its color had changed to purple though it still had a lot of blood splattered everywhere and it was as creepy as ever. Not to mention that some parts of the hall had freaky faces placed on the walls that gave off the feeling of spying on them; or, at least, staring right through their souls... The Shadows were also more powerful and different from the ones in the previous block. It was quite difficult bringing them down and they weren't as distressed as the ones at the bottom. Still, with Minato's new power, they were somehow able to get through the first five floors.

"Okay, that's it for tonight. Let's split up and find the portal... Then get some rest." Minato turned to the group. True enough, they did seem rather tired. Still, the training they received gave them promising results even though exploration was starting to become tougher, especially since Mitsuru's signal could barely reach them now. Yukari and Akihiko nodded in response. Junpei sneered, which the boy simply ignored.

"And... Avoid battles." He added before they finally split up. The cap-wearing boy groaned and ran off on his own, causing Yukari to sigh in exasperation. The senior patted her on the shoulder.

"I'm sure they'll settle this." He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Yeah... I hope so..." Yukari sighed again before splitting from her senpai, sparing a final glance in the direction Junpei had run off in before disappearing down one of the dark halls...

* * *

><p><em>'Dammit... What's their problem? Acting so casual with the guy who had almost killed them! And I'm the bad guy? What's up with that?' <em>Junpei grunted as he ran around the area. The only sounds he could hear was his heavy breathing and his footsteps as they made the pools of blood on the floor splatter everywhere. It was eerie and quiet like usual. The hall was one straight way with a turning point to the right coming up. _'And what's the point of getting him suspended if they'd let him go again?' _As he approached closer, he heard a sound. Footsteps, he recognized... They might belong to his teammates, but they could also belong to a Shadow... Either way, he had to be careful.

He tiptoed his way there, hiding behind the wall. A smirk played on his face the moment he laid his eyes on the creature. It was a large muscular man-like creature and it was even alone! He knew that a Steel Gigas was quite a rare Shadow, and to find one alone... Lucky~ Junpei looked around for any sign of his teammates or other Shadows... None.

"Heh... Screw his commands... This is a lucky catch!" He exclaimed to himself as he raised his weapon. Without warning, he charged at the enemy, surprising it. The Shadow was slashed in the back, making it shriek in pain as it landed on its face, creating a loud thud on the floor. The Persona-user was about to follow up with another attack but, to his surprise, it was able to capture his sword with a hand. The Shadow threw him against the wall, making him slam his back painfully against the structure.

"Geh... Shit...!" He moaned, trying to stand up. The enemy had already gotten up and was in fighting stance. Junpei was shaking as he finally stood, using his sword to support his weight.

"Grr... Time to shake things up a bit!" He took out his Evoker and fired. In front of him, his familiar golden-black Persona appeared, floating in the air. The Shadow didn't even flinch at the sight. Instead, it went straight for the boy, ready to bash into him. But before it did, Hermes spread out its golden wings and fired off an Agi, creating an explosion right in front of the creature. It flinched for a short time, but kept going the moment the Persona disappeared. The Shadow tackled Junpei into the wall. It felt as though his back broke along with his ribs. His weapon was sent flying and clattered onto the bloodstained floor.

"Ugh... Damn it...!" He cursed under his breath, trying to stand again, but he collapsed even before getting up. The Steel Gigas was getting ready for another attack... "Shit... Is this the end...?" He muttered under his breath, waiting for the creature to attack. His body felt numb. He definitely wouldn't be able to dodge this one...

"...?" Without realizing it, he had closed his eyes and upon opening them... It was gone. All he saw was... Red...? Junpei raised his head. There, in front of him, was the familiar figure that had appeared the other night. It was the golden-haired female from before, still clad in her crimson dress and equally red mask. His mouth was left hanging after seeing the girl. For her to be here during such a crucial time, he sure was lucky... Or could it be that it was no coincidence? Either way, he was saved.

She raised her Evoker and, without a word, summoned Messiah, using Salvation on the downed male. In the next instance, the teenager's pain suddenly subsided. Her powers were far superior in comparison to Dia. From the looks of it, he didn't really break anything; it just felt like he did... If he really had broken a bone or two, then even such a high level skill couldn't have patched him up.

"Hey, nice! Thanks!" He exclaimed after finally snapping out of his awed trance. The boy examined his now-healed wounds and picked up his fallen weapon.

"Y'know, I don't min-"

"Didn't he tell you to avoid battles?" Crimson scolded, cutting his words short, before sighing. The boy frowned at those words and scoffed, turning away from the girl.

"As immature as ever I see..." She sighed again. Junpei turned to her with an annoyed expression, but before he could retort, she cut him off and slammed her hand on the wall, creating a strange thudding noise. Even with her face covered, it was obvious that she was angry at the teenager.

"This is not a game of 'playing hero'. It's time to wake up. Your lives are on the line! He didn't want that to happen as much as you did... " The boy kept quiet, his expression froze. She turned away from him and got ready to leave. "Think about it..." She added before disappearing again. Junpei stood there dumbfounded...

* * *

><p><strong>526/09-Tuesday**

"What's with him? He's been like that since our expl- since this morning..." Yukari quickly amended as she turned to Minako worriedly. That night, Minato had found the portal and gotten everyone out of the place. Strangely, though, Junpei had been quiet upon regrouping, as if he were pondering something deeply–much to Yukari's surprise. It was as if something had happened to him back when they had separated. Unfortunately for them, Mitsuru had no idea either since the signal had been too weak for her to read.

The three of them, namely Yukari, Minato and Minako herself, were sitting together at the table they had made by joining together their desks during break time. They watched Junpei storm out of the room, blending in with all of the students who went out to buy food**. **The four-man group usually hung out in the classroom to eat though. The red-eyed girl sighed and stood up. _'I think I might have been too harsh...' _She looked up in thought and shook her head. _'Nah... Scratch that...'_

"I'll get him..." She sighed again before leaving the two. Minato still had on his blank face though he did show worry for the two with a forlorn sigh before proceeding with his lunch.

"And he strikes again... " The female who remained with Minato said as she watched her friend leave the room. "I can't believe that you were second to Minako though..." Yukari added as she stared incredulously at the dazed male. He was eating the meal quietly when the girl spoke.

It had been a shock to the entire student body. The twins were first and second in the test ranking and, more impressively, Minako received a perfect score in everything. However, the most shocking part was Minato, the boy who slept through class and was absent for many days, had gotten second place! It was as if he knew what would appear on the test... As for Junpei, he actually had been studying those past days... He passed, close to the average but still quite low.

"Her meal is the best. I'd get a perfect score any day for one." He answered in his usual tone, showing her the chicken that the girl had cooked for him. It wasn't really all that special but, to Minato, it was the best. Heck, even if Minako's choice of toothpaste were to clash with his, he'd still say that it was the best. The girl chuckled at him.

Yukari glanced out the door and sighed, muttering to herself. "I hope Minako sorts this out..."

* * *

><p>"Junpei-kun! Did you get into a fight with Minato-kun?" Minako stared at the boy's back as she ran after him. Their chase finally ended in the rooftop.<p>

The cap-wearing boy turned to the girl and gave her a smile. He scratched his head awkwardly before speaking.

"No worries! It's just..."

"You're worried he's mad at you and you don't feel like asking for apology, is that it?"

"How did...?"

"Heh... You're pretty easy to read. But seriously... just look at him! Does he look like the type to carry a grudge? I bet he never even noticed your actions!" Junpei looked away and whistled tunelessly. True, Minato didn't look like the type to hold a grudge but, in all actuality, he really was the type to do so. In fact, Junpei himself had already experienced the boy's grudge though... Speaking of which... Those times were all about his sister... He only got mad when it was about her... He usually only reacts to her...

_'Crazy sister fetish is crazy...'_ he cringed at the thought.

After his encounter with Crimson, he started wondering about the meaning behind her words and the painful truth behind them. True, he never tried to look at things through Minato's perspective... But now that he was, Junpei realized that Minato himself would be most hurt if he found out that he almost got everyone killed. And as bad as it sounds, he still can't deny that he was also jealous. He was jealous that Minato gets to be the leader... He gets to order them around... even when he had no experience in summoning his Persona! But... She was right. If there was a fight within the group, they would not function well... And if they didn't get along then it could mean danger not only for them, but also for the world.

"Hahaha. Guess you're right, Mi-chan! Sorry if I was being a jerk for the past few days!" He laughed. Minako simply smiled and took him by the arm, pulling him back to class.

"So? What are you waiting for? Let's go!" She chirped.

* * *

><p>"Hey! Stupei's back!" Yukari giggled while cleaning up. Minato was doing the same, but minus the emotions.<p>

Instead, he turned to his cap-wearing friend and spoke bluntly. "...You still owe me lunch." At those words, Junpei chuckled and turned to Minako, who was smiling yet again. She slapped him on the back and gave him the 'I told you so' face.

The pair approached the table to start eating but, just before reaching it, Minako leaned closer to Junpei with a seemingly innocent smile on her face. "By the way, if you two didn't make up soon... I would've done everything I could to get you guys back together... by any means possible." She said in a playful yet cold tone... It sent shivers down Junpei's spine... much sinister than Minato's...

_'Note to self..._ _Never mess with these two...'_

* * *

><p><strong>There's very little editing done here since I had it Beta-read by <strong>Adven277 <strong>before, so... yeah XD**

**Anyway... school starts tomorrow and I'll prolly be uploading chapters 12 and 13 on or before the weekends... and yes, this means after that, it'll finally be the never before released chapter 14 :D**

**Though... yeah. From that point on, releases will be slow again...^^"**

********-Persona 3 and any SMT series does not belong to me-********


	13. Chapter 12: Hierophant Part I

_**Story so far: **_

**_She found herself back in the past...  
><em>**

**_Hoping to change their fates, Minako took on the identity of a mysterious masked Persona-user, Crimson._**

**_And upon the arrival of the second full moon, events which never happened occurred... Casualties were almost made if not for Crimson's help...  
><em>**

**_Because of the incident, there was a slight conflict within the group, but again, with her actions, it was resolved... _**

**_Now, the next full moon is fast approaching...  
><em>**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: Hierophant Part I<strong>

**6/08/09-Monday**

"Junpei, why him? Am I not enough as a brother? Junpei, she was with that guy. Him of all people... Junpei, what should I do...?" The usually silent male spoke in a cold, lifeless tone.

He said everything with his usual blank expression... No, not his usual blankness. It was more accurate to say that his expression was _more_ blank than usual. This time, his silver eyes seemed to be sucked dry of any and all life, his face was pale and his hair was a mess, as if he hadn't had the chance to clean up for days. Junpei slowly slid away from his friend with a frightened look on his face.

"Dude! Stop it... You're scaring me!" He answered, rubbing his arms and feeling strange chills.

Minato didn't reply to his barb as he continued on mumbling something under his breath. The cap-wearing boy sighed and shot Yukari a glance, who merely answered with a shake of her head.

* * *

><p><strong>605/09-Friday**

The auburn-haired girl had just returned home, laughing with her silver-haired senior, and the first thing that appeared in her sight was the meeting between the members of Yukari's investigation team. Junpei looked rather lax and Minato was the same as he always was... Her senpai went ahead of her, heading up to his room after waving her goodbye, which she reciprocated. Attention now fully captured by the group, Minako smirked and quietly snuck up on the group...

"Why did the rumor spread so fast if this was the first time it happened?" Yukari asked the two.

Minato seemed bored... Most likely, when they had first formed the team, his mind had been drifting off to who-knows-where again. As for the capped one, he was most likely too lazy to actually investigate the matter. Well, it was either that or he wasn't really interested in it.

"Because this is not the first time~" The group turned to the cheerful voice.

Minako plopped herself down beside Minato, who, in turn, immediately straightened up. His sleepy eyes were suddenly filled with life as a faint smile formed on his lips.

"It's the third!" She added with a smile.

Yukari smiled back and turned to the boys with a glare on her face. Junpei flinched and scratched his head, Minato shrugged.

"I didn't even ask Minako-chan and yet she knows! Geez... I can't really count on you boys..." Yukari sighed.

"So, can I join this? I'm into ghost stories! Bet you didn't know huh?" The red-eyed girl smirked. Of course, she didn't really investigate since she knew it to begin with.

Minato's silver eyes lit up upon hearing her words. He took a deep breath before opening his mouth, catching everyone's attention.

"The three 'victims' of these 'ghost stories' hung out with each other. They were often seen in the bad parts of the city. Apparently, all of them were hospitalized with the same circumstances. Because of this, people think these incidents are linked together, thus, the rumor immediately spread. Also, there's a rumor about the girl's bathroom where it-" Before he could finish, Yukari jumped in and covered his mouth with her hand, effectively muffling his words.

"O-Okay, Minato-kun... That's enough..." She laughed wryly.

Minako stared at the two, her twin in particular. The female finally let go of the boy's mouth and sighed in relief when he stayed quiet.

"Minato-kun... Where'd you learn that?" His female counterpart asked curiously in a soft whisper.

The boy shrugged and flashed her a light grin.

"It's a wonder what you'd learn from sleeping." He whispered in a mysterious voice.

Minako raised a brow and tilted her head, to which the boy responded by ruffling her hair.

"I'll tell you someday..." He mumbled.

In the end, the four decided to go investigate the site the next day. Junpei had protested but, with Yukari's persistence, Minako's excitement and Minato's complex, he was outvoted, much to his dismay...

* * *

><p><strong>606/09-Saturday**

The back alley was exactly as she had remembered it and not as scary as Junpei had proclaimed... Although, technically, that may be because it wasn't her first time here, and she had seen worse. Still, it did look very different when compared to the time she had ended up there during that morning... Regardless, how the girl felt about it and how she was acting were two completely opposite things.

Minako clung tightly to her brother's arm, cowering in 'fear' for the sake of keeping up her act. Her male counterpart, however, was enjoying her closeness. However, like the girl, he was also acting, pretending that he was trying to be vigilant when, in fact, he was grinning like an idiot deep inside. For a moment there, you'd think he agreed to their little 'adventure' just so his sister would cling to him like that... As for Junpei, he was genuinely intimidated... Meanwhile, Yukari was... being Yukari.

Suddenly, a group of punks that usually hung out in the area approached the four. Yup, just as she remembered. The blue-haired boy scowled at this and pushed his sister behind him, taking on a protective stance in front of her.

"Hey, I think you're in the wrong place." One of them spoke in a rough tone.

The man had slightly long, light-brown hair and multiple piercings in his ears. Junpei froze upon hearing the man's words as Minako continued to hide behind her brother, making her almost impossible to spot.

"Uh... Well, I..." The capped teenager stuttered, unsure of how to proceed.

Before he could speak normally, the punk continued.

"You don't belong here... Get it? Beat it, goatee!"

The red-eyed girl peeked out from behind her brother, watching the familiar scene... Hey... How did they get off the hook again? As the girl drifted off in an attempt to remember, Yukari began speaking without thinking first, easily provoking the man. If they ever end up in any more situations like this, she'd probably lead them into a deathtrap.

"This bitch is a pain in the ass... huh!"

Minako snapped back from her thoughts and watched the familiar scene unfold. Minato's eye twitched before he suddenly ran to his frozen friend, much to his twin's confusion.

Finally, the punk's patience snapped and he threw a punch at the capped teenager. Junpei whimpered and closed his eyes to brace himself when, to his surprise, he was suddenly jerked backwards with a single, powerful tug from behind. No sign of pain though. He looked back and saw the blue-haired boy's scowling face as well as the other's hand on his collar. From the looks of it, Minato had pulled the Junpei towards his direction, making the attack miss.

The girls sighed in relief and the punk's companions seemed rather amused by their little stunt. As for the one who threw the punch, he was infuriated. He clenched his fist and targeted the calm male. Minato didn't budge. Minako couldn't help but close her eyes in fear at the sudden turn of events...

"That's enough."

Her heart jumped upon hearing the familiarly gruff voice.

_'Onii-san!' _She smiled brightly as she opened her eyes to take in the sight.

The beanie-wearing fellow had caught the man's second attack. Shinjiro tightened his grip on the punk's fist and threw him onto the ground. The man snarled at him, but Shinjiro countered it with a powerful glare, making him flinch away. Defeated, he cursed under his breath and ran off with his friends following quickly behind.

"Hey, I remember you... You clowns wer-...!"

"Onii-san!" The excited girl jumped out from behind her twin brother and clung to the older male's arm before he could even react.

"Son of a...! W-Why are you here!? Didn't I tell you not to come again?!" The male shouted as his face flushed red.

Junpei and Yukari could only stare in confusion as the red-eyed girl let go of his arm and pouted cutely. His expression held a mixture of anger, fear and something else that they couldn't recognize.

"Oh, come on! You saved us anyway right?" She grinned.

"Tch. Such a kid... You were lucky I was passing by." He sighed, poking her head.

"Am not! Besides, I knew you'd come." She answered back, puffing out her cheeks.

"Yeah... Right." Shinjiro replied sarcastically.

While the two bantered, the other resident punks of the area couldn't help but stare at them. Some snickered, others had dropped their jaws while the rest made it look like they didn't care. Regardless, everyone seemed amused to see THE Shinjiro Aragaki that they knew and heard of was actually bickering with a girl–a cute one at that.

"Man... I knew Mi-chan was scary and had a way with people, but to befriend someone like him...?" Junpei whispered to Yukari, wide-eyed.

The girl could only nod silently and she watched the two. Morbidly, the capped boy took a deep breath and slowly turned to Minato. Just what kind of carnage would he see this time? After all, the young man was rather protective of his sister. When Junpei had spoken to her for the first time, he had been intimidating enough. How much more would it be with a random male delinquent whom she must have randomly encountered in the streets?

_'H-Here he... is...?' _Junpei blinked in surprise.

The silver-eyed male didn't hold any of the expected expression he had in mind. Had his expression been as blank as always, it wouldn't have been so surprising, but... it wasn't. Heck, it wasn't even a scary glare nor was it even an invincible, terrifying aura. Yet, this one was scary in its own way. Given that Minato looked as if life was sucked out his body, with his pupils shrunk in horror and his lips parted wider than usual, it was as if he was suddenly struck with Apathy Syndrome...

Before the bickering two finished their warm exchange of 'greetings', Yukari cut in to gather their much needed information, to which their savior hesitatingly provided, eyeing Minako's companions during the process–especially Minato, who kept staring at him with his blank silver eyes. In fact, the young man seemed as though he wasn't listening at all... As for the auburn-haired female, she just stood innocently in a corner.

After the events in the back alley, Minato remained silent, still wearing that lifeless expression of his from earlier. His eyes were on Minako the whole time, up until they reached their dormitory and split up for bed...

* * *

><p><strong>608/09-Monday, Dark Hour**

The female clad in crimson picked up the sleek naginata from the floor and scanned the room. Aside from the bedroom furnishings and the troublesome mirror, there was nothing of interest inside. At least, there was no sign of any Shadows abound. She glanced at the door and sighed before turning back.

_'Looks like the Hierophant is not striking this full moon huh?' _The masked female shook her head in dismay.

That day, as per a part of her contract, Minako lost her memories again. Nothing major happened, though Minato seemed rather... strange. Stranger than usual anyway. Everyone else in the dorm was quite fidgety as well so, in the end, she ended up hanging out with Rio.

Even before the dawn of the Dark Hour, all members of SEES had left on their way to Gekkoukan High. The only ones left back at the dorm were Natsuki and Minako. That did not last for long though, since Minako went off on her own as soon as the dreaded hour came, heading straight to the so-called love hotel at Shirakawa Boulevard. She didn't find what she had expected to though, so the only choice was to turn back...

* * *

><p><em>'That was a waste of time...'<em>

"Here you go... Are you sure this is all that you'll be taking?" A male voice spoke.

Upon hearing it, Crimson immediately stopped in her tracks and followed the source, leading her into the familiar back alley. She hid behind a building wall.

"Yeah. I still have a lot." Another one spoke.

The female slowly peeked out from behind the wall, finally spotting four figures.

_'Onii-san...? And... Strega?' _She eyed them suspiciously, especially Shinjiro who had stashed a strange looking bottle inside his pocket. She clenched her fist and gulped upon seeing them. _'Why are they... Why is he with them?'_

The girl turned away from the four after watching Shinjiro go off on his own, leaving them behind. _'T-Those must be... the Suppressants!' _She exclaimed in her thoughts. _'Ugh... Speaking of that... He was getting it from THEM? So... it was true then...' _She shook her head and sighed, ready to go back.

"...!"

In front of her stood a female with long, bright red hair. The sight of her almost made the current-blonde jump but, luckily, she managed to keep calm and turned to the other direction. To her dismay, she was faced with Takaya on her left and Jin on her right. Behind her was the wall. She was surrounded.

"What is your purpose here?" Takaya's cold voice rang in her ears.

"And who are you?" Jin added in a gruff tone.

She bit her lip. Crimson couldn't bear to look at Takaya directly so she averted her gaze from him and decided to answer Jin first.

"Crimson." She answered flatly.

Well, that answers Jin... But for Takaya's question, she felt uneasy. It's not like she could tell them straight out that she was eavesdropping... Or that she was there in an attempt to kill the fifth Full Moon Shadow.

"That's..." She paused, thinking up of an excuse.

If there were only two of them, then she could probably take them down, but they were a complete group. Speaking of which, she had never fought Strega with all three of them as opponents... Still, it was possible that they're more powerful together... If that's the case, then fighting them head on now would be a grave mistake. It would be better to just go with the flow for now.

"I... want some Suppressants..." The girl finally blurted out.

Jin sent her a suspicious look, but Takaya gave off a nasty grin. Chidori, on the other hand, just stared blankly at the female. Minako could've sworn her attention was on her red dress rather than her.

"I see... " He nodded. "Jin!" Takaya called out to the boy.

He looked rather surprised, halting his glare at the masked female. For a second, Jin hesitated but, in the end, he nodded and pulled out a half-filled bottle of strange-looking pills. Crimson secretly sighed in relief and stretched out her hand, reaching for the bottle, but Jin immediately pulled it away from her.

"We couldn't possibly give it to you for nothing... What do you have for us?" Takaya leered.

The masked female almost snarled, silently cursing at him from under her breath.

_'Takaya... You bastard... I'd so love to kill you...' _She doesn't really need them... but she can't really turn back now.

"Information. I'll give you information." Her voice trembled a bit as she spoke but it wasn't evident thanks to the mask as it muffled her voice. Takaya raised a brow and smirked. Jin glared, showing distrust. Chidori just stared with an uncaring look.

"Go on." Their leader spoke.

Crimson took a deep breath. "There's a group of Persona-users who wish to end the Dark Hour..." Each word came out slowly. The two males listened: Takaya with an unreadable expression, Jin with suspicion–one that had been worn on his face since her appearance.

"They don't know how to do it yet though... but they're getting close." She added. The two didn't budge as if waiting for more. She sighed. Giving any more might be harmful but... "... The one behind them is Iku-" She swallowed, tightening her grip on the naginata before uttering her next words. "Shuji Ikutsuki."

At those words, Jin's face suddenly contorted, Chidori flinched and Takaya's eyes widened. He released a rather creepy laugh afterward which calmed his two companions and puzzled their captive.

Without any word, Jin threw the bottle to the girl, which she almost missed to catch. The masked female still felt confused. What did she just do? Other than the fact that Strega only knew Ikutsuki by name, she didn't know what he was to them. Sure he was the one of the researchers who experimented on children, creating 'artificial Persona users'... But how do they feel about him? Hate? Anger? Or perhaps... Gratitude?

There was a short moment of silence before she snapped back from her daze. The three still had her cornered, but the atmosphere was less tense. Crimson sighed. It felt like an hour had passed when, in fact, it had only been a few seconds. Finally, Takaya and the other two moved aside as if telling her she's free to go now. As she turned toward Takaya's way, her body felt chills of anger and annoyance. Her blood boiled at the mere sight of him. So, she turned to Chidori's side... She felt awkward... After all... there's the subject about Junpei... In the end, her gaze fell upon Jin's path. He was okay, if not for his Takaya-fetish anyway.

_'I'll go through this way then...' _She thought, approaching Jin's side.

She leaned closer to the boy in an attempt to get through.

"What do you want?" He asked in an annoyed tone.

The female rolled her eyes at his attitude before smirking under her mask.

"Hey... You're kinda cute." She teased, staring at the blue-haired boy.

He immediately flinched and backed off.

"W-What are you...?" He sweatdropped, confused, as if forgetting about the tension earlier.

The masked female shrugged and waved her hand once, running through the opening he made.

"Until next time!" She added before disappearing into the green night, leaving behind the three Persona-users in the dark alley...

* * *

><p><em>'That was a close call...'<em>

Crimson sighed as she sprinted her way back to the dormitory. It was still quite far... But there was enough time to get back before the Dark Hour ended.

After the encounter with Strega, she couldn't help but feel rather fidgety. That aside, there was also the problem with the Full Moon Shadows... The Hierophant wasn't in the love hotel... but maybe it'll appear on the next full moon? Speaking of which, why did the Emperor and the Empress attack in the first place? It was as if they were provoking SEES, or something... Wait... Provoking? The Priestess did the same thing... in a way, by taking over the monorail. And so did the Magician... climbing up the building to get at them... The 12 Shadows were once a part of Death and, according to Ryoji, it was because she had made contact with them that Death was able to become one again. If that was the case, then...

_'The Shadows are after Minato-kun!' _Her bright red eyes widened at the realization.

Immediately, the masked female picked up her pace and changed directions, heading towards Tartarus.

_'I hope I'm not too late...!'_

* * *

><p><strong> So, to make things clear... First scene <strong>(6/08/09-Monday)** occurs a few minutes before the Dark Hour, next one is some sort of flash back **(6/06/09-Saturday & 6/06/09-Saturday)** and last one **(6/08/09-Monday)** happens during the Dark Hour... So... There... ^^"**

**Umm... so I should have mentioned this earlier... but it's advisable to be attentive of the dates XD**

**-None of Persona 3 or SMT series belong to me-**


	14. Chapter 13: Hierophant Part II

**Chapter 13: Hierophant Part II  
><strong>

**6/08/09-Monday**

"Minako... just what is your relationship with him...? How close are you to that guy...? You're just going to get hurt..." The young man muttered to himself as if in a trance. His companions stared at him worriedly as he spoke to himself.

"... Could we carry out tonight's operation?" Mitsuru glanced at Akihiko who now held the key. He twirled it between his fingers, turning his attention to the female. He shook his head and gazed upon the two younger students.

"What happened? Did he get into a fight with Minako?" The male senior raised a brow. Junpei shot Yukari a glance, who, in turn, stared at him with an uneasy expression. She nudged the boy's side and pointed to Akihiko after whispering something.

"U-uh... O-of course not!" He said in a weak voice. "Minato just... Uh..." Junpei rubbed the back of his head and averted his gaze. The two seniors waited for an answer, especially Mitsuru who seemed rather suspicious of their actions.

Ever since the 'three' returned home after their little adventure, Minato had been acting rather strangely. He was all drained out and always seemed as though he was in deep thought. In fact, he hadn't slept in class... It then escalated to him as he was now. His condition momentarily returns to normal whenever he focuses his mind on something else, for example, when they confronted Mr. Ekoda about Fuuka. Since he seemed like that, they decided to ignore it, after all, he was a quite a strange guy to begin with, but now...

"H-he thinks Minako-chan has a boyfriend!" Yukari suddenly blurted out, finishing Junpei's sentence, pushing him in the process. The boy almost tumbled down, but managed to keep his balance.

"W-what...?!" The silver-haired teen shouted in surprise. His face was a bit red. All eyes, except Minato who was still in a trance were now on him. After noticing the stares, he immediately tried to keep his cool and cleared his throat. "I mean... What?"

"... We... Um... Told him he's over-thinking it, but he's not listening." Yukari added awkwardly.

"Y-yeah! What she said!" Junpei added. The seniors stared at the two with disbelief.

"Well, we can't have him go at that state..." Mitsuru sighed. "I was reluctant to send him out tonight either way..." She added, muttering to herself before turning to the fazed boy. "Arisato!" She called out. It took a few seconds before he finally responded.

"... Oh. Is it time?" Minato answered with a lifeless tone. He was staring at the wall when he answered though. The boy stared at it a bit more before finally turning to the group. "... Let's go. We have to save Fuuta..." He added.

His teammates glanced at each other with worry and shook their heads. Minato waited for their response, but no one spoke a word.

Akihiko approached him first and was the first to let out a word. "You'll have to stay here."

Minato didn't respond, he just stared at his senior with a blank expression.

"But senpai! Minato-" Yukari protested, but was immediately cut by Minato who suddenly signaled her with his hand. The leader shook his head and frowned.

"... It's fine..." He spoke in his usual lifeless tone.

"...He's still suspended anyway. Besides... Senpai's right, we'll only be in hot water with him like that." Junpei added casually, patting the girl's shoulder. She stared at him with disbelief... Junpei actually had a point.

"That settles it then. Akihiko will be the leader for this operation." Mitsuru spoke, turning to the silver-haired teen. He scratched his head as if he was unwilling to do it. In the end, he nodded after being subjected to the female's glare.

"Fine... This'll be temporary anyway..." He sighed, turning to his members, namely, Junpei and Yukari. "You're still the official leader, so you'd better get back in action soon!" He added without turning to Minato.

"..."

He didn't respond.

* * *

><p>Junpei, Yukari, and their temporary leader, Akihiko have gone inside the gym. Minato and Mitsuru were left outside as they waited for midnight to fall. While the female senior navigated the exploration group, her male companion sat down in a corner, listening to Mitsuru's words while thinking of all the events so far. He was quite stable compared to how he was earlier, but still, his mind was clouded. His eyes drooped down. Fact was, he hadn't slept since that night.<p>

"They've found Yamagishi." The navigator told him. He smiled. For a moment there, he almost fainted due to lack of sleep... When Mistsuru suddenly let out a shocked expression. "W-what is this reading...?"

Minato suddenly straightened up in surprise and instinctively lifted his sword. He faced the senior, but his attention immediately shifted outside where he heard strange moaning sounds.

"Arisato, wait...! That's a large one!" Mitsuru called out as the boy ran toward the direction of the sound. He stopped for a moment and turned to her, revealing his eye-bag ridden face. "Stay here and wait for the others to arrive, they're almost at the exit."

"... I won't do anything reckless..." He said seriously, Mitsuru glared at him in disbelief. "I promise..." He added before continuing on his way out.

* * *

><p>As soon as the boy stepped outside, a large Shadow greeted him. It was the Hierophant. The sight of this Shadow did not surprise him as much as what surrounded it... People.<p>

A large crowd of people stumbled towards him, in the direction of Tartarus, from a variety of directions. They all looked as if they had been afflicted with Apathy Syndrome (strangely enough, or perhaps not so strangely, Minato seemed to fit right in with his current appearance...). But, from the looks of it, the brainwashed crowd was currently safe as they were simply being drawn in by the Hierophant. Still, they would soon fall victim if Minato doesn't act quickly!

Minato lifted his sword and started out with a battle stance. He took a deep breath and charged into the creature, swinging his sword. As soon as it reaped the creature's flesh, it shrieked in pain. The moment it turned to him, it let out a laugh, as if pleased to see him. With that, the boy stepped back a little, feeling quite uneasy. It immediately called out a series of Zionga afterward. The teenager managed to dodge and outrun all of the attacks. As he was about to go for another hit, the Shadow called up a spell, cursing him with Sukunda, following up with a another Zionga. He tried to dodge again, but his feet felt heavy thanks to the previous attack...

"Argh...!" He growled as he fell down on the ground. The people were now getting closer... Time was running out.

"Minato! Are you okay?" A voice echoed from behind. He turned back and saw Junpei running toward him. Yukari and Akihiko followed at the back.

"Yeah... It's just a scratch..." He answered weakly while standing up. Again, he lifted his sword and proceeded with an offensive stance. The young man faced Junpei as he reached his side. "How's Fuuta...?" Minato asked flatly.

"Dude, first off, it's Fuuka, second... What the hell is that thing?!" Junpei exclaimed, pointing at the Hierophant. Minato shrugged.

"A Shadow..." he paused and stared up the sky, clicking his tongue. "A full-moon Shadow..."

* * *

><p>Mitsuru followed them outside, behind her was a pale girl with teal hair. She was trembling at the sight of the creature. Akihiko and the others have briefed her on some information beforehand. Still, she looked rather frightened and confused.<p>

"I'll join support from here and try to scan its weakness." Mitsuru called out. She was about to call her Persona when Minato pulled her arm. He shook his head while she stared at the boy with confusion.

"Senpai, you prevent the people from getting to the Shadow... They might get caught up in this fight." Minato pointed out. The female was reluctant, but he was right. She nodded and ran toward the people, casting bufu spells on their feet, immobilizing them one by one.

"Akihiko-senpai, you help me in the offense." He added turning to the male. Akihiko smiled and crunched his knuckles, ready for action.

"What about us...?" Yukari turned to Minato. He spaced out for a moment before answering. "Yukari, you help Mitsuru-senpai and heal those anyone who gets injured." Minato paused before turning to Junpei. "... You'll be joining me and senpai."

"Sweet! I can't wait to kick some Shadow ass! And this one has it big!" He answered enthusiastically. Yukari headed toward the people and did as she was told, healing those who fainted and trying to get them out of the way. Minato's group was about to charge again when the leader heard a faint voice. He turned around and saw Fuuka.

"... Is there anything I can do...?" She asked weakly. Minato looked up, unsure of what to say. He faced her again and saw the girl's disappointed expression. He sighed and pointed at the Evoker she was holding. It was the one Akihiko gave her back at Tartarus.

"... Use that..." He answered in a flat tone. She stared at it worriedly and looked back at the boy. He placed his hand on her shoulder and spoke. "And ... Watch us..."

* * *

><p>The three charged together at the Shadow, Minato in the middle, Akihiko to his left, Junpei to his right. As they drew closer, the Hierophant turned to them and called out a Mazio. The two split off from their leader going on their respective directions (left and right), dodging the attack while Minato jumped up, raising his sword and slashed the creature. It shrieked in pain. His attack was followed up by Junpei who called out Hermes and Akihiko with his Persona. For a moment, the Shadow was down.<p>

"Let's go all out!" Minato called, his companions nodded and jumped at the monster. A short distance before reaching it, the Hierophant got back on its feet and quickly shot a wave of Mazionga. The three were caught off-guard and fell flat on the ground, except Akihiko who was resistant to the said attack. He continued charging, trying to shrug off the pain and gave it a powerful uppercut, knocking it back.

Minato and Junpei got up and shook off the the strange feeling of electric current flowing through their skins, in an attempt to support their senpai. The monster roared and surprised them with a Swift Strike, taking all of them aback.

"A-are you alright...?" The soft-spoken girl rushed to their side with the Evoker resting on her hands. Minato glared at her, making the girl flinch. He shook his head and groaned.

"... I told you to watch. Shoot when necessary..." He said in a low voice as he supported himself up with his blade. "... but... remember, once you do, your innocence will be taken away for good..." He added. The girl's face flushed red, either she was embarrassed, or felt nervous because of his words, either way, she stood aside, giving the boy space, at the same time, avoiding the Shadow's range.

* * *

><p>After a few more attacking attempts, the enemy was still up, Mitsuru and Yukari were also starting to reach their limits with all the energy they've been expending from preventing any casualties. The senior kept calling out Bufu spells in all directions, and at the same time, she must limit the amount released. As for Yukari, she was running around, calling out Garu and Dia spells, blowing away the civilians who came near, whilst healing those who get injured. Minato's group was also on the edge, and what's worse was the fact that they were inflicted with various spells which caused them to slow down. Their leader also had trouble concentrating on offense since he had to assume the role of their primary healer thanks to Yukari's absence.<p>

Fuuka watched in the sidelines. Everyone was fighting... She was just watching... Useless... She couldn't do anything... The girl stared at the gun and shifted her gaze toward the group of teenagers who were fighting. She didn't know the whole gist of things... but one thing she could tell was that they were protecting the people.

_'I-... I can be of use...!' _She thought, slowly pointing the gun at her temple. For a moment, she heard the words Minato left her. She didn't hesitate, instead, Fuuka gave a faint smile of determination and pulled the trigger...

* * *

><p>"Senpai! Look...!" Yukari paused for a moment and pointed at the pale girl. Mitsuru froze because of the junior's sudden call. Even Minato's group paused to look as the girl shot herself.<p>

The usual sound of glass shattering filled the night, the next thing they knew was that she was encased within what seemed to be her Persona. Junpei almost dropped his jaws at the sight.

"I can see... I can see its weakness...!" the young girl's voice rung in their heads. Most of them were still stunned at the sight, except for Minato, and Mitsuru who called out to Yukari, telling her to continue. Their brave leader smirked, tightening his grip on the sword.

"...Junpei! Senpai! Listen to what Fuuta says!" he commanded. His voice sent them back to their senses. The male senior smiled and nodded at him with full determination.

"H-huh...?" Junpei blinked. He turned to the senior, then to their leader. Finally, he lifted a smile on his face and raised his weapon. "Alright! We're back in action!" he exclaimed in excitement, "oh, and Minato, for the record, it's Fuuka, not Fuuta... she might try to poison you if you keep that up..." he added. Minato shrugged.

* * *

><p>"It reflects lightning and blocks light and darkness...!" the girl informed, they nodded in unison and continued to charge at the creature. Akihiko and Minato attacked with their weapons while Junpei followed up with Hermes. "Enemy's weak...! It's about to use an attack, be careful!" Fuuka followed up. Junpei was about to charge before hearing her words. He immediately backed away and dodged the attack, countering with Hermes afterward.<p>

"... Attack the small ones at the bottom and the one behind it simultaneously! T-that will finish it off!"she continued. The three followed her instruction. Again, Minato was in the middle, with the other two males running sides. Junpei overtook him in front as they dashed toward the enemy. "It's about to attack...!" Fuuka's voice rung in their heads.

The Hierophant called out a Zionga aimed at the capped teen. Minato braced himself, jumped up on Junpei's shoulder and used it as boost. His friend fell flat on his face, but at the same time, caused the attack to miss. Minato was up in midair, raised his sword once more and slashed the 'woman' behind the obese Shadow. At the same time, Akihiko attacked one of the 'crosses' while Junpei, who was still down, called out Hermes yet again. They all attacked at that single moment.

Just like what Fuuka said, the Shadow disappeared after a long, shrill screech...

At the same time, all the people who were called out by the Shadow began collapsing on the ground. Mitsuru and Yukari sighed in relief. Lucia also disappeared after confirming that no Shadow was left. Everyone was about to relax... The battle was over...

"Hey, what's that?" Yukari pointed out as she assisted one of the fallen civilians.

It was a human silhouette amidst the dark smoke where the Hierophant once stood...

* * *

><p><strong>Fuuka:"I can see... I can see its weakness...!"<strong>

**Minato: "What is it?"**

**Fuuka:"... It has no weakness!"**

**Junpei: "...That was useful..."**

**I was so tempted to do that XD**

**But really...** **Battle scenes are hard... T_T**

**Since the Hierophant didn't really have any weakness... I had to make one up... Like the manga 0_o**

**ANYWAY... I believe this is where I last left off...? This means... New, never released chapters will be coming up next! :D  
><strong>

**Buuuuut... this would also mean that releases will become slower...**

**Oh... and... next chapter may just be anti-climactic... just sayin'... ^^"**

**************-Persona 3 and any SMT series does not belong to me-**************


	15. Chapter 14: Hiero After

**Chapter 14: Hiero After  
><strong>

**6/08/09-Monday, Dark Hour  
><strong>

_'I'm almost there...!_' the girl thought to herself as she jumped out of the steep alley.

As soon as she did, the Dark hour ended. She bit her lip, as the unexpected scenery greeted her eyes. People were lying everywhere, though none of them seemed to be dead at least. Most of them had bruises, some were covered in ice, as if Mitsuru performed an execution spree. Her gaze then fell upon the dark mist, a clear sign of a defeated Shadow.

_'Just what happened this time?'_

Crimson tightened her grip on the naginata and growled to herself. She failed to destroy the Shadow... and Minato made contact with it, which means, Death was a step closer to becoming one. Again. The girl sighed and was about to leave when she caught sight of a silhouette within the smoke. Soon, it cleared up, revealing a familiar-looking Ganguro girl. It was Natsuki. Her red eyes widened as the student fell down on the ground like a stringless puppet.

Without thinking back, Crimson ran toward the fallen teen to see what just happened. She rushed over to her side and crouched down, trying to identify her condition.

"No good..." she muttered to herself._ '... She's been afflicted...'_ the masked female snarled at the thought.

"...Crimson was it?" a female voice coming from behind her called out.

Immediately, Crimson turned around, finally noticing that all eyes were on her. It looked as if they were more surprised by her sudden appearance rather than the casualty. She froze, finally realizing her brash act, though before standing up, she tried to maintain her composure. The girl then turned to the one who spoke - Mitsuru.

"...Yes." she nodded, trying to keep a straight face. Not that it mattered anyway, since she was wearing a mask.

"H-how is she?" Yukari stepped forward, glancing at the girl on the ground.

Crimson slowly shook her head. She gazed down at the female. "It's too late... this girl's already a victim of the Apathy Syndrome. I'm guessing the Shadow called on to her and devoured her..."

All members of SEES seemed to be at loss for words, looking dejected. There was a long moment of silence.

"Ah... then that must be how it managed to draw in more people than expected..." a familiar voice suddenly spoke. "It must be its special ability, just as how the other Shadow was able to control the monorail weeks ago. Though, it needed the girl to act as a 'battery' to activate such power... I guess it was a mistake on our part, not being able to protect her..." Everyone turned to him, looking quite surprised.

"Mr. Chairman..." Mitsuru gasped.

"Why, fancy seeing you here." he turned to Crimson who stepped back at the sight of the man. "So, I finally meet the elusive '_Crimson'_ in person." the man smiled, his eyes hiding beneath his glasses.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Chairman?" It was Minato who raised the question.

"Oh, of course" he chuckled, "I'll explain everything later, but first thing's first." Ikutsuki paused and turned to the silver-haired senior who nodded in response.

"Would you join us? You'll be a great addition to the team!" Akihiko suddenly blurted out, raising his fist in front of him.

"No." she answered without even batting an eye.

The seniors, and Junpei frowned at the answer. She glared at Ikutsuki, feeling anger at the mere sight of him. She doubted his explanation, but it did seem plausible. After all, all the other Arcana Shadows did have their own special twist. For example, the Lovers had the ability to cloud their minds, Empress and Emperor could switch their strengths and weaknesses, and the Hermit hooked itself up the wirings of the club to gain more power. Crimson shook her head at the thought.

Finally, the masked female sighed and turned to the other direction, ready to leave when the stern female's voice called out to her.

"Hold on. We would like to ask you something." the red-head said coolly.

Just like before, the girl stopped, heart thumping loudly within her chest. Being interrogated by Mitsuru was no joke after all.

The female clad in red stopped on her tracks, and without turning to the female, she awaited for the rest of the heiress' words.

"Do you know anything about the Dark Hour?" she finally added, crossing her arms across her chest.

The masked female flinched and turned toward the group, sighing again before she spoke.

"... Yes... but you probably won't believe me if I tell you now." Crimson paused and stared at the faces of each S.E.E.S. members, and finally to the Chairman, giving him another glare (which was again, quite difficult to spot thanks to her mask).

Minato had his usual blank gaze, though there was definitely something different going on in his mind. The capped-teen on the other hand was staring at her curiously, in contrast with their seniors who seemed to be suspicious of her. As for Fuuka... She was lying on the ground, being tended by Yukari. She fainted a few moments before the mist cleared up. Lastly, there's Ikutsuki, whose expression she couldn't read. After watching them, the masked female shook her head and continued to speak.

"But I'm telling you now... don't go after the Shadows. They're mine."

Everyone's eyes widened save for Minato, everyone was just speechless as the girl ran off without waiting for any one of them to utter another word...

* * *

><p><strong>609/09-Tuesday**

After the quick encounter with Crimson, the ambulance and the additional help Mitsuru and Ikutsuki called up came for assistance. The people (including S.E.E.S. members who had minor injuries) were immediately taken to the hospital, even Fuuka who was currently in a not-so-good condition. She was in shock of everything that just happened which probably caused her collapse.

Minato looked around, turning his head in every direction as if he was looking for something. Noticing his friend's actions, Junpei approached him and tapped his shoulder.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked casually.

Minato stared at him blankly. His eye bags were almost as dark as the night. On an ordinary 'hour' anyway.

Before he was able to open his mouth, Yukari came in and answered in his stead. "You're looking for Minako-chan aren't you?" she smiled.

The boy gave a single nod in response.

"Don't worry, I already checked, she's not here." the girl added.

Minato sighed in relief. "Good..." he muttered, before collapsing on the ground.

"Minato!" Junpei and Yukari called out, rushing toward his side.

Mitsuru, who was nearby, saw the scene and approached them calmly. The two immediately opened a way for her. The moment she reached them, the female cast her gaze on the boy. Misturu bent down and checked their leader. Yukari and Junpei watched worriedly. Finally, the red-head let out what seemed to be a sigh of relief.

"He merely fell asleep."

* * *

><p>The capped-teen and his female companion sat together on one of the chairs in hospital waiting area. Minato was currently sleeping close-by while their seniors were discussing about what to do with Fuuka. They could've gone back to the dorms if they wanted to, but since they were worried about their leader (and Fuuka), the two decided to stay.<p>

"I still can't believe what happened tonight... I thought everything would be fine after you guys beat that thing..." Yukari made a deep sigh, "but to be honest, I'm not sure what to feel... I mean that girl was bullying Fuuka right?"

Her male companion simply nodded, unsure of how to answer the girl. He glanced over her direction, seeing that she was still quite shaken up by the recent events as evidenced by how tight she's holding her skirt.

"Well enough of that... I mean, we can't do anythin' about it... and at least no one died right?" the boy said nonchalantly. "But man... and I thought he was alright... I mean, he totally rocked in that hellish fight! To think he was thinking about protecting Mi-chan all along..." Junpei added, trying to change the subject. He was really worn out and had a few bruises here and there, though it was a lot worse a while back. Thanks to some healing spells, the wounds were treated even just the slightest.

"Yeah... I knew it was strange that he prioritized the civilians over the battle. Not a very good decision... I mean, I could've been enough for that, but to remove even the support in that fight... It could only mean he's worried about Minako-chan being there as the Shadow's victim herself" Yukari added weakly.

Unlike Junpei, she didn't sustain much damage, most likely because she only fought in Tartarus, and the rest of her Dark Hour was spent on 'crowd control'. Though, she was worn out in terms of energy.

"You know, it really makes me wonder why he's so attached to Minako-chan like that... It's... not normal..." she sighed. "I mean, sure she's the closest relative he has left... but still..." Yukari added, trailing off.

"Dude, when was he ever normal?" Junpei chuckled. "Heh if you haven't noticed yet, we really have a severe case of siscon here~" The male teen continued in a playful tone, to which Yukari snorted in annoyance.

"... Excuse me... What did you say?" A familiar voice spoke.

They turned to the direction of the voice and froze. Again, it was Mitsuru who had just finished her conversation with Akihiko who's currently having a check-up.

"Arisato has what?" she asked worriedly. "Is that an illness? If so, we must get it treated immediately!" she added with a concerned tone.

Yukari laughed awkwardly together with Junpei. The red-head stared at them inquisitively and brushed up her bangs. She then crossed her arms over her chest as if waiting for the boy to continue speaking. Finally, he smiled at her wryly and stood up.

"Ahaha... Well... I'm not good in explaining and stuff... so..." he paused, scratching the back of his head and looked around as if trying to avoid her gaze. "Ah! Just ask Akihiko-senpai about it" he paused again and turned to Yukari who had stood up herself.

"Well Mitsuru-senpai, we'd better get going and check on Minato. Bye!" the brunette spoke nervously and walked away together with Junpei. The woman tilted her head as she watched the two run off. What was that about?

"Hey, Mitsuru, the doctor said I'm good to go!" the silver-haired teen called from behind. He looked around, only to see that his juniors had left. He shrugged and walked to her side. "So what's up?"

"Oh, Akihiko, good timing, there's something I'd like to ask..."

"...?"

* * *

><p><strong>610/09-Wednesday**

His silver-blue eyes slowly revealed themselves as light slowly enveloped his sight. Different sounds from his surroundings began to resonate louder as his consciousness began to resurface... there was a voice... Voice? It was a familiar one... Minako? No... Yukari? No... It was pretty difficult to make anything out of it since he seemed to still be half-asleep.

"Oh, you're awake." the voice spoke.

"... Fu... Fuuta...?" he mumbled, as he attempted to raise his head. The boy blinked as his blurry vision began to clear up. The first image he saw was the familiar-looking girl whom they have recently rescued.

She was sitting on the chair beside his bed. From the looks of it, he was somehow back at the hospital. Hold on... Shouldn't she be the one on the bed? And what about...

"Minako...!" he suddenly blurted out, shooting up from the bed.

"Oh, your sister? She visited earlier... but everyone else had gone to school. Senpai told me that we should take the day off" his female companion answered shyly.

The boy immediately began to calm down after hearing her words. He rubbed his forehead and turned to the girl.

"How about you, are you alright?" he asked.

Fuuka blushed and looked down on the floor and nodded.

"Good. I'm glad that you're fine" he smiled.

"T-thank you..." she was still looking down, avoiding his eyes. "But... because of me, Natsuki-chan..." she added, looking rather depressed. Her voice trembled as if she was about to cry.

Minato stared at her for a moment, unable to understand what she was talking about. He thought back about last night and recalled that there was single casualty...

He sighed and stood up from bed, which made the girl turn to him in curiosity. Minato approached her side and pat her head gently.

"It's not your fault" he said flatly. Though there was a hint of concern in his voice. "Blaming yourself will not change what has already happened. It's best to move on and figure out how to stop any more similar victims, right?" he continued with an assuring smile. _'Move on huh? ... I'm not in the right place to talk...' _the boy thought at the back of his mind, biting his lip, though the girl didn't seem to have noticed as she was in deep thought herself. He sighed and shook his head.

"But..." before she finished speaking Minato cut her off.

"...And you weren't useless. You saved us last night. I'm sure you'll be a great help if ever you do decide to join us" he added, "but of course, the choice is still yours."

With those words, the girl blushed again and nodded weakly. The blue-haired boy stretched his arms and stared out the window. He then turned back to the girl and grinned.

"Well then... I'm hungry, let's go home and eat, Fuuta" Minato continued, ruffling her hair.

"A-alright!" she beamed, "but... it's Fuuka though..."

* * *

><p>"Minato-kun...! Fuuka-chan, w-what happened!?" the auburn-haired girl rushed over his side.<p>

The moment she stepped inside the dorm, the boy was found lying on the floor. His face was very pale and cold and his body was covered in sweat. There was also some sort of strange black substance flowing down from his mouth.

"Yamagishi, where's intruder?" the female senior called out rather calmly, but sternly.

Fuuka just stared at her blankly for a moment as if she was dazed.

Everyone had just gone home from school, Junpei, Yukari, Minako and even Mitsuru. Akihiko stayed behind since he had club to attend to. At first, the group planned to visit the hospital, but after Mitsuru had confirmed that the two had already left, they decided to go straight back home. Under normal circumstances, the two shouldn't have been allowed to leave the hospital just like that, but as it turned out, Minato and Fuuka weren't really admitted. Thanks to their senior's connections, the two made a hotel out of the hospital just to get some sleep since it would have been a bother to them if they sent the two home.

Yukari bent down to check on the boy when a strange smell suddenly entered her system. All her other companions noticed it a moment after her and immediately covered their noses. Junpei stood up and searched for the source. Most of it came from the kitchen, but there was also some from the dining table beside the blue-haired boy. Judging from the positioning of things, Minato was sitting on the chair and fell. There was a pair of chopsticks beside him, and a bowl overflowing with the strange black gunk, similar to the one in his mouth.

"Fuuka-chan, don't tell me you tried to cook?" Minako turned to the girl with her hand over her nose.

"Arisato, what are you saying? Yamagishi would never try to poison your brother!" Mitsuru scolded her.

The auburn-haired girl froze, but before she can apologize, Fuuka suddenly spoke.

"N-no senpai... She was right... I insisted on cooking for him and..." she said weakly. "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to...!" the girl added, bowing her head.

Everyone else was stunned and remained silent. Junpei paused and stared at the mystery concoction. He turned to Fuuka and raised a brow.

"What's this supposed to be anyway?" he asked.

"Instant noodles..." she answered shyly.

Everyone else what dumbfounded. What the hell did she put in that thing?

Suddenly, the group began to hear a moan. It was Minato. He was stirring up, so Junpei carried him over to the sofa and his sister handed him a glass of water.

"A-are you alright?" Fuuka asked softly.

"Yeah Yuuka, I'm fine..." he answered flatly.

"... My name's Fuuka... but I'm glad you're safe..." she added.

Junpei walked to Minako's side and whispered. "Y'know, for a moment there, it felt like she did it on purpose..."

After that, everyone returned to their respective rooms with a brand new fear of instant noodles. Akihiko returned home later that day, puzzled as to why it was quiet, in the end, his rumbling stomach took over and so, he rushed in to find something to eat. Sadly, everyone forgot to clean up the kitchen and another victim fell... And so, no one ate dinner that night...

* * *

><p><strong>This took like... more than half a year I guess? ^^"<strong>

**Anyway, I never planned for that last part to happen. All I had in mind was a Minato+Fuuka bonding time... but I had no idea other than that.  
><strong>

**And that's why I got stuck in this chapter for a REALLY LOOOONG time... (that and school + lazies :P)  
><strong>

**Then, one day, I just started typing and this happened... I guess I had too much fun messing with them and that happened...  
><strong>

**So, sorry for the long wait for this chapter ;^;**

**As for the chapter title... It was originally 'Hierophant Part III', but as I was making this, I kept calling it 'Hiero After' so I sticked with it :P**

**In any case... c************************oming up next~ Chapter 15: Minato's Date~ **************************

**************************D-don't worry, it won't take another half a year...**************************

**************************So while we're at it... here're some teaser dialogues~ ;)**************************

_"... Oh... What's with him? Was it Fuuka-chan's cooking again?"_

_"Let's get this straight first alright? I'm just here to make sure and keep you out of trouble got it?"_

_'He's simpler than I thought...!'_

**********-I do not own Persona 3-**********


	16. Chapter 15: Minato's Date

**Chapter 15: Minato's Date  
><strong>

**6/11/09-Thursday**

"Hey, wanna hang out?" The auburn-haired girl flashed her usual smile at the two. Junpei and Yukari stared at her worriedly as if they wanted to tell her something. In the end, they just sighed and pointed toward her twin.

Most of the students have already gone out, and those few who decided to stay behind were chatting and planning what they're going to do for the week, but as for Minato, he was alone in his seat, staring at nothing in particular. If he's not murmuring from time to time, you'd actually mistake him for someone afflicted with the Apathy Syndrome. Some of the teachers even asked him to go to the clinic, while the rest ignored him and felt that he was better off in such state than seeing him sleeping in class.

"... Oh... What's with him? Was it Fuuka-chan's cooking again?" Minako tilted her head as she watched her twin mutter to himself.

"No! It's because of YOU silly!" Yukari frowned in annoyance.

At those words, the auburn-haired female raised a brow in confusion. She turned to Junpei for an answer, who then turned to Yukari. She sighed and slammed her hands on the table which caught the other students' attention... except Minato's. The brunette then shot a glare at the bystanders, making them quietly turn back to their own businesses.

"How dense can you get?! He was like that ever since you came with us to investigate remember?" Yukari said in a low voice, though it was obvious that she was holding back.

"Eh...? But he was just fine yesterday..." she paused, "D-did senpai find out I was with you? Am I going to be kicked out of the dorm...?" Minako added.

Apparently, after returning home from the back alleys that other night, the group figured that it was better hide the fact that Minako was with them. In the first place, it was quite a push that they let her stay in the dorms, and if their seniors ever discover that because of it, she almost ended up in trouble, then they might just decide to kick her out. It was Yukari and Junpei who decided not to speak of it though.

"Naw, don't worry bout' that!" Junpei smiled patting her back which made her sigh in relief. Minako then turned back to Yukari looking worried.

"If it's not that... Then what...?" She continued, glancing toward Minato. He finally stopped muttering to himself and began packing up his things.

"You still don't get it? He's jealous!" Yukari sighed.

"Of...?" Minako added.

"Ugh... Just... Do something about it... We already tried what we can to cheer him up, but it looks like it's up to you to fix him..." She moaned, picking up her own bag. Junpei did the same, so did Minako who finally smiled, putting on a face full of determination.

"I still don't understand... But okay! I'll cheer him up, just you watch!" She grinned, making a peace sign with her hand before running after her brother who had just gone out.

The two watched as she ran off. It was Junpei who walked out first, but he suddenly stopped and turned to Yukari who stared at him with a suspicious glare. He smiled mischievously and opened his mouth.

"What're you waiting for? She told us to watch right? Let's go!"

* * *

><p>Right after Minako caught up with Minato, she pulled him off in Wild Duck Burger, ordering the Peta-wac set for both of them. Meanwhile, in a blind corner, two shady figures ordered a light meal, hoping to eavesdrop on the twin's conversation. It was Minako talking most of the time though. She spoke about clubs, friends and food. Mostly food. Though, despite her attempt to create a cheerful and relaxing atmosphere, her brother was still in a daze, as if he didn't hear anything.<p>

"I have to get her away from him... Minako... I... I don't want to see you like that again... I just..." he muttered to himself, soft enough that only he can hear himself._  
><em>

"...And then, Akihiko-senpai treated me agai-" The girl paused and pouted, giving the boy a glare. As expected, he didn't seem to have noticed at all. "Hey! are you listening?!" Minako added in an irritated tone. There was a long pause between her words and Minato's reaction. He raised his head which revealed a slightly confused experssion, as if surprised to see her.

"Ah... M-minako? Since when were you-" before he finished, both of their attentions quickly shifted to the waitress who had just returned and placed down their orders.

In the end, the girl seemed to have forgotten the recent conversation and began gobbling up her meal. Her brother, on the other hand, started to eat quietly as he shifted his gaze toward her from time to time. However, every time he laid his eyes on her, he gave off a pained expression, which was never noticed by his female counterpart since all her attention was on eating. Every now and then, Minato would bite his lip and clench his fist tightly.

Meanwhile, their two shady friends quietly ate their shady looking meal in their shady little corner. They tried to listen to the conversation, but there really wasn't much. There's just Minako's gobbling up of food and Minato's frequent, random mumblings.

"Hey, what is he sayin'?" shady-Junpei asked. His companion, shady-Yukari shushed him and continued to listen for more. The male groaned and grabbed his meal. It was after he finished eating that the girl turned back to him. She grabbed her burger and spoke.

"Let's get this straight first alright? I'm just here to make sure and keep you out of trouble got it?" Yukari grumbled. "A-anyway... It's barely audible, but he's just mumbling stuff... I don't think Minako-chan could hear him... but he's been going on and on about... 'she'll regret it' or something" the brunette spoke flatly, taking a bite from her burger afterward. Her companion tilted his head and raised his brows.

"Oookaaay... now that you mention it... I remember him going on about _'I have to protect her, she will just get hurt again'_" he answered in a monotonous tone, attempting to mimic Minato's voice. The girl sighed and took another bite from her meal. She paused and stared up the ceiling as if thinking of something.

"Hmmm... Are you sure you heard that right...?" she asked curiously, waving her burger around. Junpei nodded.

"Hey! Ya don't trust good ol' Junpei...?" the boy frowned.

"No Stupei! That's not what I meant!" she groaned, massaging her forehead. "Geez... What I meant was-"

Before she finished her words, the capped teen suddenly shot up with a soda on his hand. He pointed out the door and called out to the girl. "Hey, let's save all the thinking later, we gotta follow those two!"

With that, Yukari nodded and stood up herself, following the boy from behind. She took a final glance back at the now empty seat of the twins and muttered to herself as if in deep thought...

"What did he mean by_ 'again'_...?"

* * *

><p>The duo tailed the twins, who went through several stops along the way, mostly, to get something to eat. In fact, it was quite fascinating, seeing the girl gobble up food one after the other, while her brother ended up getting pulled everywhere with the blank expression of his.<p>

The pair continued trailing them until they reached the arcades where Minako began to enjoy herself. Other than that, nothing special really happened. Minato just kept on staring at her from time to time while continuing on his strange mumbling. At some points, the oblivious girl would actually remember that she was with her brother and would attempt to get him to play. Not that it did any good as he was still stuck in a trance.

"Oh Minako... what are you doing...?" Yukari shook her head in dismay. She turned back to Junpei before continuing. "So what do you-" she paused, giving the boy a cold glare "Junpei, what are you doing...?"

"Huh...? O-oh... Err... I just remembered something... I have to check something out for a bit..." he answered while looking everywhere around the arcade. The brunette tilted her head, puzzled by Junpei's unusual response. He smiled wryly and waved at her before turning his back on the girl. Immediately, Yukari looked back at him, and at the twins, then back at the boy before running after her partner-in-crime.

"H-hey...! Don't leave me alone here!"

* * *

><p>The sun had almost set, the twins sat together on the bench near the fountain in the mall area. Minako held a strawberry-flavored ice cream cone on her hand while her twin quietly stared at the soda on his. The auburn-haired girl would glance at him from time to time, feeling a rather awkward atmosphere between them. They had been together the whole day, but it was as if he wasn't with her the whole time. If he was the normal Minato, then he'd be... Well, still blank in terms of expression of his emotions, but nevertheless, smiling like an idiot on the inside, while pampering her with food. Maybe. At least that's how she imagines it.<p>

Minako finished her cone and stood up with a sigh. She walked behind Minato, but he didn't react, as if he didn't notice that she had left his side. The boy was still in his usual trance...

"Minato-kun~" The girl called out in a playful tone, hoping to capture his attention. No response. "Minato-kuuun~" She called out again, but he still didn't budge. Minako pouted and stuck her tongue from behind him. She crossed her arms in annoyance. _'I can't believe nothing worked today...'_

"Heey~Minatoo-kuun~" again, he didn't respond. Minako stomped her foot and puffed her cheeks. She always found his way of_ 'showing affections'_ annoying, but now that he's not even sparing her a glance... It was even more frustrating for some reason. When did it begin again? Not that she really cared... but they still kind of share a bond right? The girl closed her eyes and tilted her head... Hmmm...

_"Jealous!" _

Yukari's words rung in her head. Jealous? Of what? She paused again to think...

_"ever since you came with us to investigate"_

At that moment, Minako gave out an expression of sudden realization. Of course! He started acting like that ever since he saw her with her so-called_ 'onii-san'_. That was the day Minato suddenly stopped waiting in front of her room in the morning to suddenly glomp her from behind; That was the day she stopped hearing his complaints about how she spends too little time with him; That was the day she practically stopped hearing anything from him... but why? Why would he be jealous of her_ 'onii-san'_?

"...Ah... Ah!" Minako exclaimed, slapping her fist on her palm. A smile crept up her face before she let out a weak giggle. _'Oh you... THAT'S what you were jealous about?'_ she chuckled. The girl rubbed her hands together and cracked her knuckles. She breathed in some air before approaching her dear brother again. With a sadistic grin on her face, she whispered beside his ear.

"Onii-chaaan...~"she called out in a playful tone.

Again, no response.

_'Hmm...? I can't believe that didn't work... I was sure that's what he was jealous about...' s_he frowned in defeat. _'I give up...' _Minako turned her back on Minato and sighed. _  
><em>

"... What did you say...?" a soft voice called out. It was Minato. At those words, Minako turned to the boy and tilted her head.

"Umm... Onii-chan...?" she repeated with a tone of doubt. Minato turned his head toward her. His face had a soft tint of red.

"O-one more time..." he added weakly, sounding like a shy little child. For a moment, the girl was taken aback, surprised by this new expression his showing. She shook her head, and nodded.

"Minato nii-chan, let's go home~!" she smiled brightly.

"O-okay..." Minato replied obediently. He had a faint grin on his face, with his cheeks still burning red as he stood up from where he was seated. The blur-haired boy was smiling, or rather, he's trying to not smile, but he still was. To his sister, it was an amusing sight.

_'Pfft- T-that was it...?'_ she thought as they walked home together... _"He's simpler than I thought...!"_

* * *

><p><strong>612/09-Friday**

Junpei descended from the stairs. As usual, he woke up late and his uniform was quite a mess. Nothing to say about what little of his hair was left though as it was covered up by the usual cap. It was early morning, the smell of pancakes and fried eggs wafted in the air as he approached the dining room. There, he spotted two familiar faces sitting across each other. They were the 'polar opposite twins' as he calls them in his mind.

"Yo! You two are up early~" he waved at the siblings. They turned to him and greeted back. Minako with her usual energetic smile and Minato with his... smile? He was smiling. Wait. Minato? Smiling? Impossible! Well... Not really... But smiling as he greeted Junpei? Impossible...!

The capped teenager's jaw almost dropped, but shook his head and decided to leave it be. Just what kind of magic did Minako use? While Junpei tried to figure out what happened after he left with Yukari, Minako stood up from her seat after swallowing her final bite.

"See you in school! Junpei, don't be late, and onii-chan, make sure he's not. Bye!" she said before running off outside. Junpei just stared at her wide-eyed. After hearing the door click, his face stretched into a grin as he turned to his friend.

"Oho~ So that's what happened..." he chuckled. "Looks like someone just got promoted!" Junpei laughed, patting Minato's back. He just nodded, but he didn't wear his usual poker face. He was still smiling like a fool.

"But..." Junpei paused. "Didn't you tell me the other day when we were at detention, that Mi-chan was supposed to be the older- wha-!" before he finished speaking, Minato grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him down close to his face. Facing Junpei at a very close range, he spoke in a low voice, coupled with an innocent yet sinister smile.

"... And that will be our little secret... Got it...?"

* * *

><p><strong>This was still supposed to be released next week... but since I'll be starting thesis soon... I figured I should finish this up ASAP... so yeah :P<strong>

**Though... cause of that, I wasn't able to recheck for one last time, so don't be afraid to comment for corrections (or suggestions, or reactions XP).**

**Aaanywaay... Not much of a date huh? Sorry Minato XD**

**Oh, and yes, Minato has officially been promoted to _'onii-chan'_ and will be called as such from now on ;)**

**Raise your hand if you expected that~;P**

**Either way... that's it for chapter 15~!  
><strong>

**Coming up next~ Chapter 16~  
><strong>

**Aaaaand here's some teasers~ :D**

_"You! W-why're you here?"_

_"My... You have such a strange girlfriend! Haha~"_

_'Who could be worse than Shinjiro-senpai...?'_

**ps. In case you don't know... Onii-chan/onii-san means big brother...**

**(on the side note, should I continue placing teasers for the upcoming chapters? Or would you rather not be (sort of) spoiled?)**

**Oh yeah, one more thing... if you want a better picture of what Crimson looks like, you can find a fanart of her at kira-tsume's Deviantart account ;)**

************-Persona 3 and any SMT series does not belong to me-************


	17. Chapter 16: Crimson's Day Off

*Ahem* Since someone brought it up... so as I've said long before, school has started and I'll be starting my thesis, so... I can't really work on this until it's all over ;^;

But I do plan to finish this fic, no matter how long it takes... so, just expect ridiculously slow releases ^^"

I was supposed to release this much earlier, but I had to keep editing since my lappy somehow crashes when I finish... and I had to re-do this for like... three times cause it kept happening D:

Oh, and no, I'm not being pressured... just saying that there won't be an update for the next two to three months... :P

That aside... onto Chapter 16~ :D

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16: Crimson's Day Off<strong>

**6/13/09-Saturday**

"Okay... They're all good. Thanks for the help Theo!" the girl smiled, picking up the crimson-colored mask on the table. "Oh, and you too Igor" she added before standing up.

"It's always a pleasure to serve our guest..." Igor answered as he watched the girl leave for the door.

As for the younger resident, he just stared at her awkwardly, as if he was trying to hold himself from doing something. He bit his lip and tightened his fist. She was almost out when he finally decided to call out her attention.

"... Master Minako, why do you wear your battle attire?" he spoke curiously, eyeing on her dress.

The girl paused and turned to him with a rather surprised expression. Theodore almost flinched, and raised his brows. Was she mad again? He prepared himself for another one of her scolding, when the girl suddenly approached him with a rather bright demeanor.

"I'm glad you actually cared about it~" she giggled, "for a moment there, I thought you didn't notice."

At those words, the man cleared his throat and gave her an apologetic look.

"Ah... My apologies I-"

"Sheesh... No need for that Theo! I was just teasing you... You're trying too much..." She pouted.

Minako donned her mask and bent down, picking up a blue paper bag. Inside it were clothes. Ordinary, casual clothing unlike the eye-catching crimson dress she was currently wearing. The girl paused and sighed before opening her mouth again.

"Minato-nii might come in here anytime, I can't risk him seeing 'Minako' in the Velvet Room now can I? It's safer if he sees Crimson" she answered matter-of-factly.

"I see" Theo finally answered with a straight face.

He smiled with satisfaction after hearing her answer. From the moment Minako entered the room, his eyes had been on her, inspecting her appearance from top to bottom. His actions were actually pretty obvious, the curious look on his face, the way he stared... in fact, she was just waiting the whole time for him to make a reaction, just like that time she decided to create that you-know-what-never-to-be-named Persona of the Tower Arcana, or that time she decided to wear her swimsuit for Tartarus.

Seeing that he was finally relieved of the burden his curiosity put him through, Crimson grinned and grabbed the door knob. She waved the two residents good-bye, but before doing so, she left some final words to her 'friend'.

"... You can always voice out what's truly on your mind y'know..." She smiled bitterly before closing the door behind her.

_'That's why I'm still mad at you...'_

* * *

><p>Unwanted attention.<p>

That was what she received from the people right after she had left the Velvet room. Obviously, her outfit stood out like _'a deer in headlights'_ as Junpei would put it.

That morning, she left to get some things settled in the Velvet Room. The next full moon was fast approaching, so she had to make sure that she was at top shape... though honestly speaking, it was expected to be a breeze if nothing unexpected occurs... After all, she was stronger than she used to be.

Minako was wearing her casual attire when she left the dorm, she just brought her outfit and changed on her way. At that time, there wasn't much people, so the attention she garnered were minimal... but now... people stared at her as if she was some sort of museum display. Others took pictures, while some tried to ignore her, but were obviously curious themselves, seeing that they kept trying to give her a quick glance.

_'... I guess it was stupid to think that wearing it in Tartarus and here would be the same huh? It's a wonder how Chidori could roam around casually like that...' _She groaned, her cheeks were rather red from embarrassment as she attempted to walk as fast as she could. The girl paused on that thought, _'Then again, that was the reason Junpei took interest in her in the first place...' _She giggled, trying to ignore the prying eyes, but in turn, she strayed away her attention where she was going...

*bump*

"Ugh..!" She almost fell flat on the ground.

Lucky for her, the was a nearby railing that she was able to hold on to. Crimson lifted her head to see what, or who in the world did she bump into now. But before anything else, her attention turned to the round stuff on the floor, then to her dress which was now splattered with what seemed to be some sort of sauce_. _

"Ah...! My takoyaki...! Hey, you're-" The figure in front of her groaned, but stopped midway through his words.

Minako raised her head, ready to bicker with the man, but instead, her eyes widened and she instinctively pointed her finger on the guy. He, in turn, backed off a bit and stared at her in disbelief.

"Jin?! Why are you here...!?"

"You?! W-why're you here!?"

The two exclaimed in unison. Again, people stared at them, it was the female who first noticed the attention they were garnering. She gulped, worried that things might go a turn for the worse than it already was. Without thinking, she pulled the boy in a more secluded area. At first, he resisted, but immediately submitted to her after noticing their situation. In the end, Minako was back where she was, in front of the Velvet door.

* * *

><p>Minako, or rather, Crimson placed her free hand on her waist and sighed at the boy. As for Jin, he crossed his arms, while holding a rather 'full' looking plastic bag. The two stood across each other in silence before they finally had the chance to speak up. It was the female who opened her mouth first.<p>

"So? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the alleys or something...?" She sulked.

The girl didn't know what came to her, but dragging him with her wasn't so smart now was it? Especially now that she didn't really bring her naginata or any weapon for that matter. She could've just escaped on her own, but she just had to pull him with her... Must be her instinct... At least that's what she thought.

"Tch. Is there a problem with that? I was just running some errands." He answered in a forced tone.

For some reason, he had been averting his gaze from her. Crimson shrugged and eyed at the white plastic back he was carrying. She tilted her head, feeling that it looked somewhat-familiar. Suddenly, her mind clicked. She immediately recognized it from one of the convenience stores in the area. Then, that would mean he was...

"Shopping for Takaya huh? Smooth. Real smooth... I never imagined you doing such things..." She snickered, though, she was obviously suppressing her laughter. Jin eyed her with annoyance.

"Yeah, whatever, I'm outta here" He finally rolled his eyes, turning his back on the girl.

Before he was able to go any further, Jin felt a weak tug on his arm. The boy turned back at the girl. She seemed to have gotten over her 'giggles', and now, she glared at him with her one visible eye.

"What?" He sneered.

"You still owe me" She said flatly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"... I don't. Now, if you want to waste my time, just-"

The girl pointed on her dress as he spoke, making him trail off midway of his sentence. She was pointing on a brownish sauce stain on her dress.

"You have to pay for the cleaners got it? You stained my dress. It's my only one!" She complained, finally releasing his arm. The boy scratched his head in annoyance and groaned.

"It's none of my business alright? It was your fault for not looking!" He answered.

Crimson merely glared at him without a word...

* * *

><p>"You should have just said yes in the first place if you were going to do it anyway~" She chuckled, walking by his side.<p>

In her 16 years of living, she had always made sure that she gets what she wanted from others.

This time was no exception.

The duo stood in front of a laundromat. The golden-haired female still had her crimson mask on, but this time, she was wearing casual attire composed of a pink shirt, a white tank top and skirt. As for the paper bag which once held the clothes she's now wearing, it's back inside the building where she left her dress to get washed up.

"Can I go now? You have acquired what you wanted, right?" Jin sighed under his breath sounding rather worn out.

Crimson just smiled at him (though he can't really tell since she was wearing a mask) as if harboring a malicious intent, making the boy feel rather uneasy.

"No. You do realize that I still have to wait for it, cause I can't go home without bringing that back y'know" She said in a rather playful tone, pulling Jin by the hand. He blushed.

"W-what? Do it yourself!" He answered nervously.

She just continued staring at him with pleading eyes... Or rather, eye, thanks to her mask.

Other than Chidori, she's practically the only girl who got that close to him. He couldn't really understand the situation. First, she called him cute, then she made fun of him, pushed him into paying for her dress (despite the fact that it was obviously her fault), and now, she's acting all friendly with him? Chidori never did such thing... well okay, maybe she does, but it was still different. The red head, when ordering him around would taunt him with her axe... but this one... this _Crimson_ was a whole different thing. She was simply loud, pushy and annoying.

_'I guess that guy was right. Girls only complicate things... but this one's definitely a weirdo...'_ he thought.

Though... this was a good chance to learn more about this 'Crimson'... Was she with those hypocrites? Or was she acting alone? He contemplated on those ideas before he made it to a decision.

"Fine! I'll be wasting more time if I keep this up." He finally answered, with the purpose collecting information on the mysterious girl in mind. Crimson. For one, she's certainly not how he imagined her to be.

"Let's go then!" the so-called weirdo exclaimed, pulling him off against his will.

_'Shit... what have I got myself into? Is it too late to back out?' _the boy thought as he sweatdropped...

* * *

><p>"Two, please." The blue-haired male spoke as he reached out for his wallet.<p>

Apparently, she pulled him everywhere without thinking about a proper destination. In the end, she complained about being tired and hungry, thus, in front of the Takoyaki shop was where they somehow found themselves at.

Crimson was sitting on a nearby bench, waiting for her treat. Some people couldn't help but spare her a quick glance thanks to the strange mask, but unlike before where she had her whole attire, the attention she received wasn't as much. Despite being strange, such kind of mask can easily be bought in the area, especially in the arcades, so, it was really no big deal...

"My... You have such a strange girlfriend! Haha~" The old woman chuckled as she handed him two orders of takoyaki.

Jin blushed as he paid his bill in return.

"She's nothing like that...!" He answered defensively, though he just made the woman chuckle at his words. Jin scoffed as he returned by Crimson's side.

The girl stood up at the sight of the piping hot octopus balls, looking rather pleased, she snatched one from his hand and plopped down again afterward. He took a seat beside her, though he made sure to keep distance. His companion didn't seem to have noticed though, seeing that she was too busy with her special treat.

"I thought you were a jerk, but you're pretty nice after all!" She laughed, turning to him.

Jin swallowed a piece and almost choked. He took out a bottle of water from the plastic bag and washed the food down before answering back.

"... The hell are you saying? You forced me into this remember?!" He snarled with a frustrated tone as he wiped the water and sauce on his face. A second later, Jin have calmed down a bit, turned to her and pointed at her mask. "Hey. Aren't you planning to take that off?"

Crimson shrugged. She just pointed at the other half of her face which wasn't covered by the mask. Indeed, she could eat with that 'free' half.

"... Never mind." he sighed, sounding a bit disappointed.

He took his bottled water and began chugging.

Suddenly, a smile crept up her face.

"Ohoho~ So you want to see my face that badly huh?" She said in a singsong voice.

This time, he ended up making a spit-take.

"Huh? NO! What would I gain from that?!" Jin protested, returning to his meal. "Besides, you're probably wearing that for a REASON." he added in a sarcastic tone.

At those words, the girl pouted and furrowed her brows.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" she whined, but the boy ignored her.

The girl continued on pestering him before finally getting tired, and resumed eating...

* * *

><p>"You're practically the only normal guy in your group aren't you? If Takaya enters the mall half naked like that, or Chidori in her outfit, I can just imagine what'll happen!" The girl laughed. She imagined the scene, and began snickering like an idiot. "I kinda feel sorry for you now... I bet you're their errand boy..." She added.<p>

"Don't talk about them like that!" The bespectacled boy suddenly responded in an annoyed tone. "Besides... it's my honor to serve Takaya." He continued in a soft voice.

The girl stared at him and smiled. He looked sincere as he said those words. There was a strange hint of happiness in his face...

Again, there was an awkward silence. The two just sat together and watched as people passed by.

"... I never imagined there's someone else who survived besides us." Jin suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

The girl stared at him in confusion and raised a brow. A short moment later, she realized what he meant...

"Huh? You're mistaken... I-I'm not one of you guys... I wasn't involved with the Kirijo Group..." She answered apologetically, without a thought.

Jin stared at her this time in surprise.

"What? Then how did you know about us? And Ikutsuki? You even knew Takaya's name!" He continued in a confused tone.

The girl flinched... Maybe it was better if she just went with him huh? Looks like he mistook her as one of the artificial Persona users. It would make sense that way though, since she asked for Suppressants... and she even knew about Ikutsuki's involvement...

"... I couldn't tell you about that... I'm sorry for misleading you though..." She continued with a frown.

Jin shook his head and remained silent.

* * *

><p>"Umm... Well... Guess that's it for today, an thanks for the company..." The blonde smiled. Now, she was carrying the paper bag, this time, it contained her crimson dress. The two were back in front of the laundromat again after picking up her attire. "I'll be going now... and I'm sorry for dragging you around all day, I guess I got carried away..." She spoke awkwardly before turning her back on him.<p>

"Hey!" This time, before she could have gotten farther, Jin ran toward her.

Crimson turned to him with a quizzical look on her face behind the mask. He rummaged through his pocket and handed her some sort of card. It looked like some sort of business card... Written on it was an e-mail address, a url and the words '_Revenge Request Website'_.

"What is this for...?" She gave him a puzzled look as she looked back and forth on the card, then to him..."There's no way I'm commissioning you guys... I'm broke!"

_'Does that mean you will if you weren't?' _he stared at her hopelessly, before letting out another word. "... Contact. You can e-mail me there." He answered awkwardly.

He was, again, averting his gaze. Crimson gave him a suspicious look in return.

"... Y-You owe me for the takoyaki, got it?!" He added.

Suddenly, a familiar voice rung in her head, rendering her speechless.

_Thou art I... And I am thou..._

_Thou hast established a new bond..._

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating_

_Personas of the Art Arcana..._

At the same time, an image appeared in front of her which made freeze. It was an unfamiliar card with a drawing of a large golden cup at the bottom. Right above it, there are two smaller silver cups pouring some sort of liquid, with the one on the left pouring a white liquid and the one on the right with a red liquid, though, generally, the whole background of the card was quite colorful.

_'W-what...? Did I just...?' _she chuckled in her mind. _'A bond... with HIM...? Heh. Who would've known...?'_

She smiled and turned back to him, continuing the conversation as if nothing happened.

"Cheapskate! Fine... I'll contact you one of these days... okay?" She rolled her eyes and tucked the card in her pocket. "I admit though, today was quite fun..." She added with a smile, waving to him as she disappeared in the midst of the crowd.

"... They must be waiting... I bet Takaya and Chidori haven't eaten yet..." He muttered to himself as he stared blankly at the bag. _'Crimson huh? She's... not bad...'_ He paused to look up, _'... just annoying.'_

Jin took in a deep breath before walking back...

* * *

><p>"Oh, you're back. Where were you?" Minato set down the book he was reading as soon as his sister entered the lounge.<p>

Her mask was safely tucked inside the bag, along with her dress. She squeezed it closer to herself in order to avoid revealing its contents.

"Oh... I just played outside..." She answered with an awkward smile.

Her twin's eye twitched at her answer. Could she be with that guy again? Normally, he wouldn't ask... but after that incident, he'd better not let his guard down.

"It's not Shinjiro-senpai is it...?" He continued in a low, nervous tone.

"No... he's umm..." she paused trying to think up of the right words to use, "the one I was with was an old acquaintance..." Minako scratched her head with her voice wavering at every word, Minato almost shot up from his seat. His twin somehow sensed the atmosphere and tried to pick her words carefully. "Don't worry, he's definitely not the type of guy I'd date, so you don't have to worry about that part. He only treated me some food, and it's not like we'd see each other again any time soon."

At those words, Minato clenched his fist. It was another guy? But hearing her say that they won't meet regularly was a relief... Kind of. He tried to keep calm as he watched Minako climb the stairs.

"If you say so... but be careful of strangers..." He spoke in a flat tone as she went up.

The girl stopped and turned to him.

"Yeah sure... You're the one to talk, but you hang out with random strangers yourself don't you~? Don't worry! I can handle myself!" She continued before heading back to her room.

Minato sighed as he watched her back disappear into the halls. He shook his head, picked up the book and continued where he left off...

_'As long as it's not him... Who could be worse than Shinjiro-senpai...?'_

* * *

><p>"Jin, where are those octopus ball I asked of you?" the long-haired man called out as he rummaged through the plastic bag. The boy didn't reply, instead, he just blankly stared at the bright screen of his laptop. <em><br>_

_'... Tch. Still zero? She knows how to send a mail, right?'_

* * *

><p><strong>What's this? A whole new S. Link? O_O<strong>

**Yes. Yes it is... Remember the Hierophant arc when Crimson called him 'cute'? That was a... flag ;)**

**And no. I didn't make up Art Arcana.**

**It's actually the same as Temperance Arcana in the Thoth tarot deck just as how Aeon replaces Judgement and Lust replaces Strength :D**

**I know I could've used a more canon Arcana like Lust, but as I look at how their relationship builds... I don't really feel like that Arcana fits ^^"**

**Coincidentally enough, when I read about Art Arcana, it fits in pretty well... so yeah. I picked it even though it sounds kinda lame XD**

**He only appeared for like... Five times in the game or something. ****So, why not give him a bit of the spotlight? Though, cause of that, I'm not sure how he's supposed to act like. Other than his Takaya fetish and 'genius', I know nothing bout' him... so sorry if he's ooc... I just thought he'd act that way, being a 'Hermit'. I imagine he's not used to 'normal' girls. **Yeah, I know it's a fic, and I can do anything with them and whatnot, but I'm not comfortable with OOCness ^^". So, if you have any thoughts or suggestions to get them in character (especially those with very minor appearance), then don't be afraid to share~****

**But hey, between the three of them, who's the most likely to do the errands? Who else but the most normally dressed member/shot**

**Anyway, in case you didn't pick it up, in the first scene, Minako was in the Velvet Room to change her line of Personas :)**

**Coming up next:**

_"Alright. I'll be expecting from you two."_

_"It's alright. I like the company."_

_"Oh, were not like that... she's just... a friend."_

**-None of Persona 3 or SMT series belong to me-**


	18. Chapter 17: Rumors and Stupid Fools

_Yo~ currently on my -short- holidays, so I managed to finish this chap._

_Plus, since the latest update on the P3 Movie got me hyped- I can't get P3 off my mind XD_

_In any case, why am I writing here in the beginning? Well, it's cause it may be kinda confusing to read this arc (this will be a three-parter), so I'm making notes here now._

_The events in this arc occur somewhere between April (few weeks after Minato joined SEES) and July just a few days before the next full moon._

_So... to summarize, here's what happened somewhere in between:_

_-Minato has just recently joined SEES (4/18/09) after getting discharged from the hospital (4/10/09-4/18/09) after the Magician's full moon (4/9/09)._

_-Joined clubs._

_-Minato was hospitalized (5/10/09-5/17/09) after the Priestess full moon (5/9/09)._

_-Exams (5/18/09-5/23/09)._

_-Again, Minato is hospitalized (6/08/09-6/10/09) for the Hierophant incident (6/08/09)._

_-Depressed Minato (6/06/09-6/11/09)._

_... Oh... err... seems like he gets hospitalized every full moon, whaddya know? XP_

_Anyway, I promise that streak's gonna break... soon. Hopefully. ^^"_

_So, speaking of which, check out the **new poll **in my profile~ it's just for fun and in reference to the next full moon chap._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17: Rumors and Stupid Fools<strong>

**4/27/09-Monday**

She had a mysterious, mature and elegant air around her, especially looking at the way she carried herself - it was as if she were an adult. It was difficult to believe that she was just a year older than most of them. Known for being independent, admired by many; she's smart, beautiful and rich to boot. It was a wonder to those in his class of why a woman of her stature would bother with the gloomy guy in the corner.

Envious eyes pierced him... but he did not mind at all, maintaining a sleepy, nonchalant expression on his face.

How they wished they could hear what the two were talking about...

"To make a long story short, I want you to join Student Council. It's not like you'd have to participate in every activity. Just come to the Student Council room when you have time." the red-head said, staring straight at his silver-blue eyes.

When the boy was about to open his mouth, he paused, looking quite troubled. The female stared at him and chuckled weakly.

"And don't worry, I already asked her to join as well. I am fully aware that you want to spend as much time as you want with your sister... after all, you haven't seen each other for so long." she closed her eyes as she spoke.

With those words, the boy smiled and nodded. "Ah... thank you for understanding Mitsuru-senpai. In that case, I'll get going now."

"Alright. I'll be expecting from you two." she answered.

* * *

><p>"Minato-kun! What took you so long? I've been waiting~" the auburn-haired female called out cheerfully as she watched the boy walk over to her side.<p>

The boy greeted her upon entering the Student Council Room. "I had to go over at Ms. Toriumi's for some paperwork." he answered with a soft smile on his face.

The twins had an ordinary conversation about food and school after their greetings, while wait for the President to arrive. Not long after, their chat was cut short as crimson-haired heiress entered the room. Immediately, the room booming with chattering students quieted down.

"Everyone," she spoke in a clear voice, "these two are Minato and Minako Arisato. As you probably all know, they are twins- the ones I've been talking to you about for the past few days. They'll be joining us here in the Student Council."

Everyone remained silent as she introduced the two, though the moment right after she left, other members began gossiping about the transfer students. The two didn't seem to mind the talk about them. They're sort of used to it after all, since they've been the talk of the school ever since they transferred in.

Suddenly, a boy approached them, followed by the timid looking girl from behind. He had black hair combed to the back and dark squinty eyes. His uniform was neat and properly worn. On the other hand, the bespectacled girl at the back had long, straight, dark-brown hair, reaching past her shoulders. Just as the boy, she was wearing the standard uniform of the school.

"... You two must be talented if the President hand-picked you both." the boy said with a smug look on his face. "I'm Hidetoshi Odagiri by the way, I supervise the Disciplinary Committee" he added.

"Um... and I'm Chihiro Fushimi, the treasurer... I'm a sophomore, and um... I'm still learning the ropes, so... please be patient with me..." the girl at the back continued, politely bowing at the two.

"I should be the one saying that, Fushimi-san. Nice to meet you. I guess." Minato answered with a small smile.

"We'll be sure to do our best! Hope we all get along~!" Minako added enthusiastically.

"Hmph. Well, as long as you don't make any trouble, then I guess things would go smoothly..." Hidetoshi muttered to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>504/09-Monday**

He took a small peek on the small crack on the door before entering. The boy then gently closed the door before casually plopping down on the swivel chair right in front of the desk. Said room he entered was a small office- the school's discipline office to be exact.

The place was quite familiar to him as he was sent there not so long ago for sleeping during PE class, though he somehow managed to get off unpunished. Technically speaking, he always gets away with sleeping in all of his classes since the teachers are already quite used to that habit of his... or more like, they're all used to students sleeping during class. Usually, teachers try to take their sweet revenge on unruly students such as him during the exams. Not that he cares about such things... after all, with his secret special fool-proof studying plan, he can simply sleep out during lectures, stay up all night for Tartarus explorations and still manage to be one of the top scorers in school.

He sighed at the thought as he faced the boy on the other side of the desk. Normally, he'd expect a faculty in charge, however, this time the one who greeted him was no other than the boy he met just a week ago. Of course, he expected to see his face since it was him who arranged the meeting in the first place.

"Please make this quick Hidetoshi... I'm meeting Minako at the field later." the sleepy-eyed boy said as he rubbed the back of his head, as if giddy to get out of the place.

His companion merely shook his head in response, arms were crossed over his chest. "I have no idea what the President sees in you, but your acts of disrupting the student body- the male student body, cannot be overlooked!" Hidetoshi pointed out, with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Um... what?" All it did, however, was to make the poker-faced teen's brows raise up a bit in confusion.

"I was going to report this directly to the President herself, but I wanted to hear your side first..." the young discipline officer answered, "from what I've been told, you've been threatening the boys here in school. You do realize that such acts of bullying cannot be tolerated." he added in a stern tone.

"Oh. That." Minato shrugged. "If that's all, then I'm gonna go now. I really wouldn't want to miss Minako's tennis practice..." he added as he left his seat.

The blue-haired boy's reply had the officer's mouth hanging. He froze for a second before quickly jumping in front of the door, blocking it. "So, you don't deny it?!" Hidetoshi said out loud with an expression of confusion mixed with annoyance.

"Do you want me to?" Minato answered doubtfully.

His reply caused his companion's shoulders to sag down, with his mouth wide open. "No- I mean- Which is it? Are you playing me for a fool?"

"... What a pain..." He muttered to himself. Finally, Minato sighed and returned to his seat. He breathed in, "Boys were eye-ing on her... so I just told them that if they're interested in Minako, they have to make sure to never make her cry, or they will have to go through me. Then they left." the boy breathed out before continuing, "... can I go now?"

The teenager said every word with a consistently blank expression.

"... That's it?" Hidetoshi frowned.

"Do you think I'd even bother lying?" he replied with a yawn.

"You mean this is all just part of some childish squabble on love relationships? Tch... What a waste of time! That informant will be sure to hear from me..." he hissed. "I apologize for the trouble, Minato-kun, you can go now..." the boy added with a wave of hand.

Minato simply tilted his head before getting up again and grabbing the knob. Before he can step out of the room however, he turned his head back to the still fuming officer and spoke. "... Don't overwork yourself Hidetoshi... you can always ask for our help." he added.

Those words softened his companion's expression. "I'll keep that in mind." he grinned.

The blue-haired boy gave him a thumbs up in reply as he shut the door.

Hidetoshi was about to return to the stack of paperworks on the desk when the office door creaked open again. He turned to see the silver-blue eyed teen peeking in.

"Oh yeah, you don't have plans to go after Minako, do you?"

His face reddened, "just leave already!". He marched toward the door and forcefully slammed it shut.

* * *

><p><strong>511/09****-Monday**

"Thanks for the hard work Minako-chan! See you next time!"

"Alright, bye~ and careful on your way home!" she said with a warm smile as the door closed.

It was right after a hard day of work in the Student Council. Members have started cleaning up the room, others have left. In a far corner, the auburn-haired girl yawned as she stretched up her arms to relieve a bit of stress. Unknown to others, she had been going out late at night, battling the manifestation of human's dark thoughts- Shadows. It's definitely not an easy task especially since her freedom to do her work was quite limited, considering the fact that she's not a member of SEES anymore.

Well, there's that, and the incident during the second full moon. Up until now, her brother was still confined in the hospital and hasn't shown any signs of waking up just yet, adding to her worries. She wanted to visit, but if she stays over for too long, she might fall asleep and well... it will again, be a risk to her identity as Crimson.

"Minako-san, we have to talk." someone suddenly spoke.

The girl looked up, only to see a familiar face. "Oh, hi there Hidetoshi, haven't seen you in a while!" she grinned. "... Is it about the cigarette butt incident?"

Apparently, there's been a case that has been ongoing where a cigarette butt was found in the boy's bathroom. Since it was against school rules to smoke in the campus, the young discipline officer was tasked to investigate the case.

Hidetoshi merely shook his head, making the girl feel more curious about his business with her. "Neither." he answered bluntly. "It's about your brother... his reputation among the teachers and fellow students has been plumetting down. His absence today definitely does no help. I advise you do something and keep him in control, especially his nightly activities."

The auburn-haired girl chuckled awkwardly upon the mention of 'nightly activities'. Apparently, rumors about him doing questionable things at night has been surfacing as he was spotted in the streets before and after midnight. Most likely, those instances were before and after the Dark Hour has commenced. Even though other SEES members were involved, they only appear in rumors frequently and usually end up being forgotten. On the other hand, Minato who was a transfer student, and who was very well known for his weird quirks, always made him the center of the rumors. Aside from those points, the student body members of the Akihiko Fan club, Mitsuru Fan club and Yukari Fan club made sure that the names of their 'idols' were kept clean... as for Junpei, people had the tendency to forget that he even existed that he was naturally wiped out of the rumors. So somehow, the stories got twisted and only had him involved, leaving out his friends.

"Don't think that I'm doing this for him. I'm just worried that he might taint the President's credibility as he's a part of the Student Council because of her decision." he followed up. "After all, a corporation will crumble down if it has lost its trust on its leader. The same goes for this school." the male added with a smug look on his face.

"Alright, thanks for your concern!" She smiled. "But I know he's not doing anything bad." Minako added.

The discipline officer gave her a bitter grin before he replied. "From what I've heard, you just met your 'brother' at the beginning of the school year, am I right?"

She tilted her head with a puzzled look on her face. Why did he suddenly bring that up? In any case, she gave him a nod to answer his question.

"Then how could you trust him like that? You shouldn't blindly give away your trust. One day, someone will stab you behind your back before you even realize what's happening." he smirked, pointing it out as a matter-of-factly.

Minako closed her eyes. Somehow, she knew where he was going, after all, she was aware of what happened to Hidetoshi's father- sent to jail after being framed. Without a word, the girl stood up from where she sat and stared out the window.

"You know..." she paused, and turned back to the boy, "I've been betrayed before, but that doesn't mean I will never give my trust again. I don't know why... but I just trust him, and that's all there is to it."

Her companion was taken aback. For a moment there, he thought she was about to say something grand, or maybe, even inspirational... but that was it? That was actually pretty plain. She's not as smart as she looks, or what people make her out to be after all... if anything, she's practically just a stupid fool.

"Hmph, let's get something clear. As I've said, I'm only doing this because I want to protect the Student Council. Don't think I'm doing this to earn your favor, after all, I will not reap any benefit from you or your brother." Hidetoshi grunted. "Relationships only makes things difficult, so it's more convenient to just not bother with such trivial matters." he concluded.

Minako shrugged. "If that's what you believe, then I won't try to change your mind. Everybody has something they believe." she paused to pick up her bag and turned to the boy. With a wide grin on her face, she told him: "... But I do trust you, Hidetoshi-kun! So whatever you believe in, I'd still think of you as a friend!"

Hidetoshi sighed and scratched his head, unable to answer. Before he knew it, she had said her goodbyes and left. "No doubt, those two are twins..." he muttered to himself with a smile.

* * *

><p><strong><em>And so, yes, our first s. link focused chapter :D<em>**

**_Anyway, yeah, instead of spreading them throughout the story, they're gonna be 'collected' into a whole chapter or two (or three... or four...). Of course, exceptions will be the SEES and Jin. So, expect more similar chapters waaaay later, but that doesn't mean that all will be covered XP_**

**_So, if you want particular ones to be featured, don't be afraid to comment in the reviews ;) (though I cannot make you any promises in that...)_**

**_Though right now, what will surely appear would be Hierophant, Hanged, Sun and Temperance. I'm also thinking about Chariot, Star, Fortune and Magician, but I'm not yet sure with those ^^"_**

**_Ps. I got tired of re-reading this chap... so I didn't give it one last check... if there are any mistakes, please tell me _**

* * *

><p><strong>NightAngel0Ex- <strong>Of course I will :) Actually, I'm currently working on ten other future chapters. I dunno, it just happened cause I can't seem to focus on just one XD Though yeah... most of them are not finished.

**GuardianOfTheMist**- Y'know... you just gave me an idea~ XP

**Gin Nanash**- Yes. Yes it is~

**Celi-chan**- Glad you like how I portrayed him :D And don't worry, you're not pressing me XD

_**-I do not own Persona or any of its characters-**_


	19. Chapter 18: Emperor's Justice

_Just for starters... no, I'm not yet on vacation... but soon... soon... T_T_

_Anyway, yeah, managed to make this up during the holidays a week ago, did finishing stuffs today... hopefully it's okay?_

* * *

><p><em>-Minato has just recently joined SEES (418/09) after getting discharged from the hospital (4/10/09-4/18/09) after the Magician's full moon (4/9/09)._

_-Joined clubs._

_-Minato was hospitalized (5/10/09-5/17/09) after the Priestess full moon (5/9/09)._

_-Exams (5/18/09-5/23/09)._

_-Again, Minato is hospitalized (6/08/09-6/10/09) for the Hierophant incident (6/08/09)._

_-Depressed Minato (6/06/09-6/11/09)._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18: Emperor's Justice<strong>

**5/30/09-Saturday**

It has been almost two weeks since his discharge from the hospital, and three weeks since his awakening.

To think that within that short span of time, so much had happened, and yet, he had to worry about their exams right after. It wasn't easy, but he managed to top the tests despite his condition. Junpei's enmity towards him also somehow dwindled... though technically speaking, he actually never noticed until Minako and Yukari had pointed it out to him a few days later.

In any case, all those were now a thing of the past. Regular days have returned; studying late, sleeping in class, and enjoying after school activities... those were how the days were spent. Most of all, he's looking forward to spend quality time with his twin.

Minato was very thankful to Mitsuru for letting him join the Student Council- knowing that he'd be a member of the same organization as his sister.

That would mean extra time with her even after class. Honestly, he wanted to join the same clubs she joined... but it's not like he can join up in the tennis club for girls... right? Which meant that he was stuck with kendo, where he can at least make use of the techniques he learned from Tartarus.

But sometimes, he also regret joining the Student Council. This was because Minako wasn't always available to help out. For the most part, she's too busy in tennis club, and at times... she goes off on her own to do things she never talks to him about, which always worries him. In any case, whenever left alone in the Student Council without his female counterpart, Minato somehow found himself assisting this shy underclassman...

* * *

><p>He flipped through the pages as he browsed around. It was pretty quiet since there was only him, the old couple and his new female friend in the store.<p>

She was also browsing through the pile of dusty old books.

His silver-blue eyes gleamed with boredom as he sighed, setting one book down and picking up another.

"Um... sorry if I dragged you here..." the girl was the first to speak, though her eyes were still buried on the book she was holding. "You really didn't have to come with me here... if you're bored, you can go ahead now..." she added in a soft voice.

Minato didn't answer immediately, instead, he turned around and walked over by her side. "It's alright. I like the company" he said with a smile, "besides, it's not boring hanging out with you... I'm actually glad to spend my time here like this."

With those words, the girl blushed and scurried off with the books in the pile, causing them to topple over. Her face burned even redder. This time however, it was due to embarrassment of her clumsiness. "S-sorry, I'll get them-" she said crouching down to pick up the books.

Minato furrowed his brows in worry and bent down himself. "Here, let me help" the male told her as he assisted the girl.

Chihiro flinched for a moment and hid her face as the blue-haired boy came close into contact. Her mind was almost about to go blank when she suddenly took notice of a certain book. Her eyes widened and her nervousness was replaced by excitement the moment she laid her eyes on it. It was as if the earlier events never happened.

"O-oh my... This is...!" she said rather loudly which stole the boy's attention.

He tilted his head in confusion, though his face was still as blank as ever.

"I've been dying to read this!" the bespectacled girl continued with an enthusiastic expression, "This is a collection of illustrations from the shoujo manga I read!" She then paused and flipped the book, "... it even has short stories inside! I would never have expected this to be here..."

Minato scratched his head, still a bit confused, but then, the girl just continued.

"Each volume is 6,000 yen, so that means... 18,000 yen in total!?" the girl frowned, returning the book in the shelf. She turned back to the boy with a disappointed look, "w-what should I do...?"

"Hmm... well if you really want them, then go ahead" he said with a soft smile, "and don't worry, I can ask the store owners to save them for you."

"R-really...? Oh thank you senpai! I-I'll try to get enough money as soon as possible!" Chihiro smiled in delight. She paused and took out her phone to check the time, "um... so I'll be going ahead now. T-thanks for coming with me today..."

Minato simply nodded in response as he watched the girl disappear from his sight.

"Ohoho... You have quite a girlfriend there, eh Minato-chan?" the old man approached him.

The teenager shrugged, "Oh, were not like that... she's just a friend."

"We'll, in any case, why don't you just buy it to her as a gift? We'll even give you a discount" the old woman suddenly spoke from the back of the counter.

At first, the boy paused as if contemplating on it. He took out his wallet as if counting his money. In the end, he sighed and inserted it back in his pocket. "I appreciate the offer, and I do want to help... but I'm saving up for something myself..." he paused and turned to the old couple, "besides, I believe she'd want to earn it on her own."

* * *

><p><strong>604/09-Thursday**

Sure he managed to pull off a short list of suspects; but they were only written down because of their reputation for being notorious delinquents. Of course, he knew that such was of judging was not fair.

His current progression in the investigation of the cigarette butt incident still hadn't helped lengthen it either. Clues? He had none. Leads? He had but one. However, that _one_ who kept appearing on his head was no other than the blue-haired transfer student, Arisato Minato.

Somehow, all currently known facts led to him. To start, this was the first time in five years that such incident had occurred. Transfer students were rare in Gekkoukan Highschool, and most of them came from Gekkoukan Elementary.

Secondly, it was found on the boy's bathroom, and to top it off, it was the bathroom closest to the second year classrooms. That would mean that the most likely suspect would be a junior.

Finally, the poker-faced teenager was always subject of rumors. Some say he was secretly a delinquent who brawls on the streets, others claim he was a host... however, there was one thing for sure- whatever he was doing at night was no child's play. After all, he had been sent to the hospital twice already. So, knowing that, his place was meant to be on top of the list of delinquents in school, right next to a certain senior who never attended any class.

Despite all the glaring facts, somewhere at the back of his mind, he knew it couldn't be that boy... was it because of the concern he showed him? Or was it because of his sister's words? Either way, he knew that he just had to trust herwords to believe him and ask his opinion on the matter.**  
><strong>

Thus, he found himself outside of class 2-F.

Generally, there was barely anyone in the campus at that time. Majority had already left home, and a few others were attending their respective clubs. He didn't really expect to find the one he was looking for inside... but lo and behold, there he was, all alone, sleeping on his chair.

Hidetoshi's face scrunched up. The school was no place for sleeping! How irresponsible...! He wonders why the President had chosen the boy... In the end, he just sighed to himself and walked over toward the young man.

"Oi. You're not home, get up!" he called out to Minato sternly.

Slowly, the blue-haired boy picked up and opened his silver-blue eyes. "Mmm... Yo. Hidetoshi" he greeted groggily as he rubbed his seemingly sleepy eyes. The teenager paused and looked around the room, "... uh. Where's everyone?"

The disciplinary officer massaged his forehead. "Classes are over. I believe you were asleep this whole time you moron." He replied.

Minato simply tilted his head, as if he was still processing what his friend had said. Suddenly, he planted his hand on his palm (coupled with a blank expression to boot). "Ah! Right" he paused, bending down to get something from his bag.

Hidetoshi stared at him, puzzled. What's with that guy? He thought, as he watched him rummage through his things.

"Here" said the blue-haired male, handing over a piece of paper which was filled with names of people. The handwriting was simple and neat.

"What's this?" he raised a brow, as he browsed through the list.

Minato yawned, stretching his arms, "a list of people."

"I could see that. Be more specific" Hidetoshi frowned.

"Cigarette butt incident suspects. I asked around with Minako on those who are into smoking around here..." he stopped for a moment and rubbed the back of his head, "we also asked around on those who frequent the bathroom which it was found. Then I tallied the list last night."

Those two... were truly stupid. They really asked such things around? That was so wrong in so many ways... surely, that will become a new subject for rumors!

The boy scrunched up his brows, "... you didn't have to do this. You won't gain anything from helping me."

"Well, I kinda promised you didn't I?"

"What?"

"That you can always come to us for help."

"... But I didn't."

"... But I figured you needed it anyway" he paused, and stood up, carrying his bag. "Well, I guess I'll just see you on the next Student Council meeting. Bye."

"... Alright. Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>610/09-Wednesday**

It's annoying whenever he's around. It's kinda sad when he's not. Somehow, his presence has become part of her daily life.

Maybe she should visit him later at the hospital? Yeah, that's a good idea. Maybe she'll even bring Mitsuru, Yukari and Junpei along as well, he'll surely feel better! Then again, it's not like his condition was bad... the doctor said he just lacked sleep, and pushed himself too much.

On her way out, Minako suddenly heard some yelling from the faculty. In fact, she almost dropped her books while passing by. Curiously, she leaned closer to the door.

"Don't be stubborn! Just add his name on the list!" an adult shouted. "That boy's up to no good. Going out at nights... I even heard he gets himself involved at fights! I mean look, how many times has he been sent to the hospital already?"

It was a voice very familiar to her... their PE teacher?

"Minato-kun was chosen by the President herself. He may be subject of baseless rumors, but I do know for myself how responsible he is" another voice protested sternly.

It sounded like Hidetoshi.

"I believe in him, and I know he couldn't have done it" the same voice continued.

Minako nodded to herself in appreciation of her friend. She was proud of him. He defended her brother the way he defended her back then in her original timeline. Somehow, it felt good.

"I thought you were smarter than that Hidetoshi... forget our deal" the teacher continued, sounding rather annoyed. "You'll regret this..." he added.

"... If you'll excuse me then" Hidetoshi replied confidently.

Footsteps began to move closer toward her direction. So, she backed away, as to not get hit by the door or the person coming out for that matter. The red-eyed girl waited until it opened... and as expected, out came the familiar face- Hidetoshi.

The moment he laid his eyes on her, the boy blinked as his face flushed into a soft tint of red, "... you were listening?" he blinked uncomfortably.

"Weeell... sorta" the girl answered awkwardly. For a moment, she shifted her eyes downward and fidgeted with her fingers, "... thanks for sticking up to him."

Hidetoshi averted his gaze as if feeling embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head as he spoke. "Please don't tell him though. He'll probably be all over me if he gets wind of this."

"Sure! Your secret's safe, you can trust me!" She nodded enthusiastically. "Though you sound like you know him very well already~" she teased, poking his forehead.

The flustered male brushed away her hand, "s-stop that!" he pouted. Hidetoshi shrugged and turned his back on her, ready to leave. However, without looking back at her, he continued, "be careful around that teacher... I think he's got his eye on you."

She didn't reply. Instead, Minako just watched as her friend walked away. Perhaps she missed some details from the conversation? Most likely, it was something before she passed by at the scene... Well, she never really understood what he meant, even before she ended up back in time. In the end, she just shrugged it off and headed home.

* * *

><p><strong>615/09-Monday**

She let out a yawn as her bright-red eyes followed her classmates walk out of the classroom.

Recently, the rumors on Minato's nightly activities had been dwindling, as rumors about ghost appearances and its victims surfaced.

Of course, she knew what that was all about, after all it was connected to the recent full moon incident. She wanted to forget about it, especially considering what happened to Natsuki... what if she messes something up again? And to think that she didn't even have a direct contribution for the event to happen! Perhaps that the butterfly effect she was told about before...?

Immediately, Minako shook off those thoughts and grabbed her bag. "So, shall we go?" she walked over to her sleepy-eyed twin.

"Mmm... sorry Minako, but I don't think I can accompany you today... I have to meet with Chihiro" Minato replied, picking up his own bag. "I'll make up with this some other time. Be careful on your way home, bring Yukari or Junpei with you... preferably Yukari. Let's just see each other at dinner tonight, bye..." he continued before walking out.

Minako was left in the classroom, wide-eyed. Did Minato just ditch her for someone else? She blinked... that was rather unusual of him to do. In the end, she sighed and brushed it off...

"Oh well, guess I'm just glad onii-chan found a new friend!" she exclaimed to herself, feeling proud of her introvert brother's accomplishment. The cheery teen was about to jump out of the room when two students who were chatting caught her attention.

"Ah, yes... I heard about that! That sophomore stole the money... I just know it!"

"I know right? I heard she was poor or somethin'... to think she's using her position as treasurer for this... uh... what was her name again?"

"... I think it was Chihiro Fushimi."

* * *

><p><strong><em> We haven't had any action lately huh? ^^"<em>**

**_Err... hopefully, things will heat up for the next chapter? I dunno..._**

**_Clue: No, it will not_**

* * *

><p><strong>Gin Nanashi- <strong>*throws Minato at you* "I'm wasn't jealous. Not. At. All."

ps. Ikr? But just thinking that even after release, we still have to wait for subs/dub D8... on the side note, it makes me wonder if they plan to release yet another P3 game... /not that I mind cause I've only played P3P anyway XD

* * *

><p><strong><em>-I do not own Persona 3 or any of its characters-<em>**


	20. Chapter 19: Emperor's Stand

_Sorry for the long wait (if anyone was actually waiting... ^^")_

_I've been really busy and lazy and... yeah =_="_

_err... seeing that it's been so long since the last update... let's have a re-cap? Feel free to skip this if you still remember the events last chapter (and kudos to you for remembering XD)_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Summary:<em>**

Mitsuru invited the twins to help out in the student council.

Everything had been going well... or so they would think, if not for Minato getting involved in quite a number of rumors which caused some friction between him and disciplinary committee member, Hidetoshi.

One of which was his_ 'threatening'_ of some male students (which was because they lay their eyes on Minako... at least that's how Hidetoshi understood it); the other being the cigarette butt incident where a teacher wanted his name on the list of suspects.

With Minako's guidance, and the twin's efforts of trying to seek out the culprit, they obtained Hidetoshi's trust. With that, he refused to follow the teacher's whim, and instead, placed his faith on his new found friends.

Meanwhile, the shy treasurer of the student council somehow formed an unlikely bond with Minato.

* * *

><p><em>-Minato has just recently joined SEES (418/09) after getting discharged from the hospital (4/10/09-4/18/09) after the Magician's full moon (4/9/09)._

_-Joined clubs._

_-Minato was hospitalized (5/10/09-5/17/09) after the Priestess full moon (5/9/09)._

_-Exams (5/18/09-5/23/09)._

_-Again, Minato is hospitalized (6/08/09-6/10/09) for the Hierophant incident (6/08/09)._

_-Depressed Minato (6/06/09-6/11/09)._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19: Emperor's Stand<strong>

**6/15/09-Monday**

_"That sophomore did it. She took the money fee she collected from the students... to think she looked so innocent."_

_-_That's how the rumors went.

... and somehow, it greatly annoyed him.

Minato couldn't help but notice the students who were staring at the lone girl who was standing by the exit.

Her eyes were on the floor, as if trying to ignore all the whispering around her.

The boy grit his teeth and rolled his eyes. He made sure that Chihiro wouldn't see him before passing close to the chatting students, shooting them an intimidating glare. Immediately, they scurried off without the sophomore noticing.

The poker-faced teen sighed as he walked over her side, "hey" he called out.

"O-oh... S-senpai... y-you came..." the bespectacled girl spoke shyly, averting her gaze from him.

"What's the matter? You look like the world's about to end" he joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

It didn't seem to have helped however, since she was still awkwardly fidgeting with her fingers with a gloomy look on her face.

She lifted up her head and looked around, finally noticing that all the gossiping students suddenly disappeared. Chihiro blinked, puzzled as to where they suddenly went. In the end, she shrugged and turned to her companion.

"Um... s-sorry to bother you again like this..." she said softly.

"Don't apologize, I'm doing this cause I want to" he replied, trying to pick every word carefully.

The girl didn't react the way he expected. In fact, she still seemed to be quite uneasy, even with him by her side.

"It'll pass. Rumors come and go, so just ignore them" he smiled, giving her a pat on the head. "Now, shall we go?" before they left, he gave the empty hallways a final glance.

'..._ I do hope this would pass soon...' _Minato sighed in his mind.

* * *

><p><strong>616/09-Tuesday**

Hagakure was having a lazy day, though people were expected to pour in an hour later or so; right after the club activities of students and when the shifts of office workers have finished. Right now, only two students were sitting in. Both of them were wearing the familiar Gekkoukan High uniform, though the male who also sported a baseball cap had his suit unbuttoned beneath his purple collared shirt. On the other hand, the girl had hers tidily, free of wrinkles and creases. Her hair was also neatly tied to the back which gives her the image of a good student.

"Thanks for the food!" she exclaimed, as the chef slid the bowls of steaming ramen on their tables. The girl drooled, readying her chopsticks.

"Nah, don't mention it, just dig in!" he smiled awkwardly, "... glad you're in high spirits now..."

"Hm? Why wouldn't I be?" she replied tilting her head, with a strand full of noodles hanging from her mouth.

"Uh, wait... so you haven't heard?" the boy answered hesitantly before letting out a sigh. "Guess I shouldn't have brought it up..."

Hearing his words, Minako eyed him suspiciously, though she didn't stop gulping her food.

Junpei, on the other hand, felt uncomfortable. He made a deep sigh before finally talking. "Oh man, I feel kinda bad to be the one saying this... but..."

The male paused and rummaged through his bag. After a short moment, he pulled out a picture and handed it to the girl. "That's been going around since late of April..."

The girl scrunched up her brows and took it, giving the item a long stare... "Ah! This is about the picture of me -and my classmates- in gym clothes circulating around isn't it?"

"So you do know about it..." Junpei pouted. "Err... does that mean it doesn't bother you?"

"Course not." she replied casually and tucked in the picture in her own pocket.

"Um... Mi-chan, that's mine..." Junpei smiled awkwardly while he watched the girl stash it away.

"... Don't tell me you were planning to keep this?" Minako replied coldly. "Y'know, I'm doing you a favor here. If Nii-chan finds out you have something like this... I don't know what he'd do..."

Hearing that, his expression darkened, realizing that her brother must never hear of it. He was about to turn back to his bowl as well when he suddenly paused to look around. "Speaking of which, where's that crazy sister-fetish brother of yours?"

Minako shrugged, though for a moment, she almost choked hearing what Junpei called her twin. "Eh, he's with Chihiro-san again. I guess he finally found interest in other people other than me... and please don't call him that-"

This time, it was Junpei who almost choked. "What?! Minato? That Minato? He actually got one before I did?!"

"Got what?" the girl blinked.

"A girl, of course! A girlfriend!"

Minako simply rolled her eyes as she laid down her chopsticks. "You're thinking it wrong! Gee, I see why Yukari keeps calling you Stupei..."

A perverted smile suddenly crept up his face, ignoring the teasing. He placed his fist in front of him as if pretending to hold a mic, Junpei began to speak, "Oho~ ladies and gentlemen, look like the tables have turned! The sister is finally the one who's jealous of her bro- OW!"

Before he finished, she smacked him in the head. "I'm not jealous! Besides, more than anything, I'm just worried about Chihiro-san myself... y'know... those rumors... about the stolen money..."

"Huh? Oh, that. Right..." he nodded. Indeed, he knew about that, after all, it was the hottest topic in school. "Both of you should take it easy, no one takes rumors seriously."

"Mm... yeah. You're right... but still..." the girl sighed, locking her sight on the almost empty bowl of ramen.

"Haa... If you're really worried, then just do what you think is right." her companion added casually.

Suddenly, Minako lifted her head while a smile began to creep up her face.

"You're right!" she exclaimed, standing up from her seat with her fist pumped to the air. '"Alright then, it's settled!"

Her reaction took Junpei by surprise. He almost fell from his chair, "whoa- what...?"

"I'll do my best to help Chihiro-san and Nii-chan of course!" Minako grinned. "So, I'll be keeping an eye out on them!"

"Ahaha... well, good luck on that..." he replied as sweat dropped on his forehead.

Looks like he started something troublesome...

* * *

><p><strong>629/09-Monday**

"I'm glad you're here but..." the blue-haired boy paused, setting down the book he was holding. Minato leaned forward and whispered close to her ear, "why'd you bring him along?"

The other male's eye twitched a bit, "I heard that, Minato-kun" he groaned. "If you don't want me here, then I'd gladly take my leave" he continued, looking as if he was ready to go.

"That's not what I meant. It's just that..." the blue-haired boy paused and glanced toward the brunette by his side.

The auburn-haired girl on the opposite direction of the table tilted her head. She then gave a quick glance to the bespectacled female, who had her eyes on the floor the whole time. "Oh, right! Chihiro-san's shy around boys isn't she?" Minako exclaimed.

Her sudden outburst had all the people staring at her. It was only a second later that the librarian assistant came up and shushed the girl, which made her shrink down on her chair. "S-sorry..." she smiled sheepishly at the woman, who then returned to her own desk.

The red-eyed female then gave out a sigh before turning back to her friends. "I just figured I'd bring him cause he looks kinda bored" she told them.

"Am not" Hidetoshi grumpily retorted.

In response, Minako simply chuckled, her brother shrugged while Chihiro watched them looking rather amused at their antics.

The four of them were at the library for a group study. It was originally just Minato and Chihiro at first, however on their way, the duo conveniently bumped into Minako who was at that time, with Hidetoshi. For some reason, she decided to invite herself in what was supposed to be a study date, even dragging the discipline officer with her... and well... the rest is history.

* * *

><p>They were sitting on opposite sides of a long, rectangular table. Minako placed herself beside Hidetoshi, while on the other side was Minato and Chihiro. Strangely enough, the male twin didn't raise any complaints regarding the set up.<p>

Chihiro seemed to have trouble with mathematics, and while Hidetoshi tried not to show, he was struggling in English. All the while, the group actually had an ordinary group study session. Though, there was an evidently awkward atmosphere around them.

The twins' attention were on Hidetoshi's homework when Chihiro suddenly spoke up.

"The missing fee money... no one's found it yet..." she said almost unconsciously.

The bespectacled girl looked up, only to notice that all eyes of her companions were suddenly on her. "A-ah... d-did I say that out loud?" her face reddened. She cast her gaze down and stood up from her seat, "e-excuse me... I... I need to check out some books..."

Everyone watched her as she left. There was a short moment of quiet before someone made another sound.

"... She's innocent" he said, with undarting silver-blue eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to say it. I know there's no way she would!" his sister added as she fiddled with the page of the book she was holding.

Hidetoshi remained silent for a while before he finally opened his mouth. "If you guys believe she didn't, then I'm sure she wouldn't do it" he sighed, "... and if she didn't, then I'm sure it will turn up eventually."

The two turned to him and smiled. Minako even gave him a friendly smack on his back, which somewhat irritated him (though inwardly, he smiled).

While the twins enjoyed themselves teasing the discipline officer, a pair of students casually took a seat neighboring them.

One was squinty-eyed, with brown hair tied in pigtails, while the other had braided black hair. At first, they were simply chatting about random subjects such as the hospitalization of the P.E. teacher before the exams and the ghost stories which was the talk of the school until recently. Nothing harmless really, though their voices were a bit loud and disturbing. Soon, the two began gossiping about the current biggest issue in school- the missing money fee.

This immediately captured the attention of the trio.

"There's no one else who could have done it. It can only be that treasurer girl from the Student Council!" the first one said, "I heard they were poor, so it totally makes sense!"

"Yeah, what a lucky bitch. I don't understand how a poor girl like her got into this school... kinda disgusting" the black-haired one added lazily.

In an instant, the twins shot them a glare. In fact, the red-eyed female looked as if she was about ready to jump in and strangle the gossipers judging by how her face had contorted. However, a hand suddenly signaled her to stop. Instead, it was the discipline officer who took the stand, making the siblings blink in surprise.

With arms crossed over his chest, the boy walked over to the pair.

"Just as expected from a bunch of mannerless apes. All you know is to find fault in others just to cover up your own insecurities" he said with a annoyingly smug look on his face. "I'm worried on how you'll thrive in the society someday when you cannot anymore protect yourself by downgrading others."

"What...? W-what's your problem?" the squinty-eyed girl retorted.

"Hmph. You are, you mindless buffoons" he smirked. "I will not tolerate any insults or accusations given to the Student Council and its members. As an organization, our trust must be absolute" Hidetoshi gave out a sigh and pointed his finger at the girls, "... and also, your skirt lengths are too short. It's against the school rules, so please report to the discipline office later."

Hearing his harsh insults, the one with braided hair shot up from her respective seat. She even slammed her hands on the table,"what?! H-how dare you! You're nothing but a-"

Before the girl could finish, a female voice suddenly called out her attention, "excuse me. This is the library, please mind your manners..." the librarian assistant reprimanded from her desk.

The pair blushed from embarrassment, only giving the disciplinarian a final glare. They left the group quietly without another word.

"Y'know, I'm glad he's on our side..." the auburn-haired girl whispered to her brother.

He nodded in response. The boy then rubbed his chin and turned to his twin. "By any chance... don't tell me you brought him here on purpose...?"

The girl pursed her lips. "... I don't know what you're talking about..." she replied, looking away from him.

Finally, Hidetoshi returned to his seat, looking quite irritated. He gave out a sigh before picking up his book again. "I can't believe people like those were actually admitted in this school..." the boy said, as he shook his head. "I'll talk to the President one of these days to raise the standards..." he added.

"U-um.. t-thanks..."

They turned around. It was Chihiro. She seemed as though she was on the verge of crying.

"Just forget about them." Minato gave her a gentle smile.

"Yeah, let's just go grab a bite~ Hidetoshi here will treat us!" Minako added cheerfully.

"... Hey I never-" he paused before sighing in defeat. "... fine."

"... Don't tell me that's the REAL reason you brought him?."

Minako simply laughed off her twin's follow-up, when she sneaked up close to him and whispered something by his ear. "Onii-chan, I wanna help Chihiro... can you explain exactly what's going on later when we get back home?"

* * *

><p><strong>701/09-Wednesday**

_"Hey, she's the one right? _I can't believe she still hasn't admitted to it..._"_

_"Shh! She might hear you...!"_

*bang*

At that, the gossipers flinched. They turned toward him, wide-eyed as he slammed his hand on the desk. Everyone stared blankly, making a stop to whatever they were doing. Even the glasses-wearing girl couldn't help but look.

He was really mad.

"Tch. Don't tell me you simpletons believe those rumors as well?!" he groaned, looking very irritated.

No one replied. They just stared at him blankly.

_'As an organization, our trust must be absolute'-_ the very words he spoke of the other day were ringing inside his mind.

Hidetoshi simply couldn't stomach it anymore. He felt betrayed; after all, they were the Student Council- the _voice_ of the students. How could they believe such gossips? And to think that they were accusing a fellow member to boot...! It was very disappointing how they easily got swayed by such things...

"Um... Hidetoshi-kun... i-it's alright... really..." the girl was the first to speak. Her voice was soft and barely audible like usual.

Hearing those words, the boy turned to her, which made the girl flinch. Without warning, he took the girl by the hand, making her blush.

"Come on Chihiro, we'll settle this once and for all! Direct me to that teacher!" he ordered as he pulled her out of the Student Council meeting room.

Those who were left behind could only watch the scene unfold, unsure of what just happened...

* * *

><p>However, he never really imagined that it was the same faculty he created an enmity with.<p>

"Ah, so Hidetoshi, you're back. What brings you here?" he asked.

His eye twitched, though he tried hard to not make any unnecessary movements.

"Sensei, Chihiro here told me everything. She said she had already turned over the money fee to you" Hidetoshi stated as calmly as he could with arms crossed, "I suggest you clear up this mess as early as now so that we can avoid further problems."

"Y-yes... just as he said... I was sure I gave you the money fee..." her voice grew softer at each word.

However, the person they were questioning only rolled his eyes. "Hmph. How bold of you to accuse your sensei" the adult replied, "I don't remember receiving any of this '_money fee'_ you are speaking of."

The brunette froze and retreated back. It took all her courage to summon herself to speak that way... to a teacher no less.

On the other hand, her companion almost snapped. "Sensei, are you trying to imply that Chihiro here is lying?" he stated, still trying keep his calm. Though, a vein had already popped out of his forehead, "if you don't admit now, I will make sure this matter reaches the President!"

"Accusing, then threatening? I didn't remember you being this rash, Hidetoshi" the man chuckled. He stood up from his seat, showing a very intimidating stature to the boy. "You know what? I think you're also involved in this" the man told him casually.

At that, the discipline officer flinched, "are you listening to yourself? I'm not even involved in any of the Student Council's monetary affairs!"

"Y-yeah...! Hidetoshi-kun will never do something like that...!" surprisingly, even the brunette spoke up. "I-I don't see how he could be involved here...!"

The teacher shrugged, "it's easy really. Everyone knows how tight-knit you are lately, after all, you're both in the Student Council..." he shifted his attention to his fingernails before lazily continuing his words, "I also heard about a certain _incident _at the library a couple of days ago. If I don't know any better, I'd say you're interested in that girl. Now, wouldn't that make sense?"

For a moment, his cheeks burned red. Actually, both of them.

"T-that is such a weak conjecture! No one in the right mind would buy something like that...!" the younger man angrily retorted, though there was a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "... besides, we're just friends..." he mumbled softly that no one heard.

By his side, the girl simply lowered her head, making it impossible to identify her expression.

"Really now? Your faces says so otherwise" the man chuckled, "but, petty teenage infatuations aside... Might I remind you," he paused and turned to Hidetoshi, "that you have your old man in jail, no?"

Upon hearing those words, his blood boiled. He's not the type of person who'd snap and go for a physical assault, but that was the last straw. Hidetoshi readied himself to jump on the man.

...but at the spur of the moment, he was pulled back.

Luckily, his female companion managed to hold him down. "Hidetoshi-kun... c-calm down..." she said weakly.

However, her attention immediately shifted to the teacher who turned to her with a wry smile on his face. She flinched after hearing the next thing that came out of his mouth.

As he stared at her, the man mockingly continued to speak, "... and you're the girl from the rumors, right? I heard you were financially unstable" he made a pause and looked up, "you know what? Let's throw in those twins too."

"W-what?! What are you saying? That's just ridiculous! Minato-kun and Minako-san absolutely have nothing to do with this!" the young man blurted out.

For once, her face scrunched up in anger, "just as Hidetoshi-kun said, leave them out of this...! This doesn't concern them!"

"Heh, I beg to differ. As I've said: you share the similarity of being in the Student Council" the male wagged his finger at them, looking rather proud of himself. "Plus, that Arisato boy has a lot of fishy doings. Most likely, he did it for that twin of his. See? The story fits quite well!"

At that, the Hidetoshi fumed. He wanted to punch the man, but he knew he couldn't. In the end, he simply growled and tightened his fist as if trying to hold himself back. "No doubt..." he hissed, "you're the one behind this aren't you?!"

The girl turned to her companion with a look of surprise, then to the teacher who had a smirk planted on his face.

"S-sensei...? Is that true...?" was all Chihiro could bring herself to say. She glared at the man with wet eyes, though, it was nowhere near intimidating.

"Me? Do you have evidence to support that?" the burly man replied. "You've turned stupid after all. you have no evidence against me, whereas, your backgrounds are quite questionable." The man then stood up from his chair with his bag under his arms, "now, if you may excuse me, I have a meeting to catch."

"You-!" He cursed under his breath and bit his lip.

But that teacher was right. He had no evidence.

In the end, Hidetoshi clicked his tongue; all he could do was glare at the man with resentment as he watched him walk out of the room.

Maybe... it really was foolish to challenge a teacher...?

.

.

.

"Sensei."

He was a few steps away from the faculty room when a voice suddenly called out to him.

The man felt a cold chill and flinched. He turned around and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the two students- the Arisato twins.

The girl was leaning on the wall, by her side, was her twin.

The man cleared his throat and straightened up his face. "What is it? I'm in a hurry."

"Can we see you in our classroom this Friday? We... have something important to talk about" the female spoke with an eerily sweet smile plastered on her face.

"... Alright" the man replied with hesitation.

Somehow, he felt like they wouldn't take a 'no' for an answer.

He suspiciously eyed the two, though their expressions were pretty hard to read. With a snort, the man turned his back on them and left, leaving the them behind.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hidetoshi is such a bro =w=<em>**

**_..._**

**_._**

**_._**

**_._**

**_... And no, they're not gonna kill him... or throw him in Tartarus... or videotape him doing something outrageous... or scare him out of his wits..._**

**_All I could say is, they'll deliver justice, I guess? XD_**

**_I'll try to get the Justice-Emperor arc finale out by this week... hopefully..._**

**_-I do not own Persona or__ any of its characters-_**


	21. Chapter 20: Their Justice

_-Minato has just recently joined SEES (4/18/09) after getting discharged from the hospital (4/10/09-4/18/09) after the Magician's full moon (4/9/09)._

_-Joined clubs._

_-Minato was hospitalized (5/10/09-5/17/09) after the Priestess full moon (5/9/09)._

_-Exams (5/18/09-5/23/09)._

_-Again, Minato is hospitalized (6/08/09-6/10/09) for the Hierophant incident (6/08/09)._

_-Depressed Minato (6/06/09-6/11/09)._

_-Since this hasn't been updated for a long time, it's advisable to revisit the previous chapters of this arc TAT"_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20: Their Justice<strong>

**7/03/09-Friday**

"Chihiro, Hidetoshi!" she called out to the pair.

The two flinched upon hearing the cheerful voice. They turned around to see the auburn-haired student, with her twin brother quietly following from behind.

Ever since that incident in the faculty room just a couple of days ago, the two council members had agreed upon each other to avoid the twins. So, hearing the familiar voice, they immediately decided to scurry off the school hallway.

It was the best way they could think of until they can figure out a way to get out of the mess they were in, without involving the two.

"Whoa- leaving so soon?" Minako smiled, grabbing Chihiro's shoulder.

"U-um... y-yes... s-sorry-" the bespectacled female replied weakly as she held her books under her arms.

"C'mon Chihiro, we have to go" Hidetoshi added, though his tone sounded forced.

"It's about the rumors again isn't it?" Minato sighed quietly.

The pair flinched.

"Don't worry bout' it! We'll make sure _it_ ends today!" His female counterpart grinned, "we just came here to tell you guys that!"

The two blinked, unable to catch what she meant.

"... You'll understand later. Come to the tennis court after school, you'll know what we mean." Minato added, giving the bespectacled girl's shoulder a gentle pat.

Hidetoshi and Chihiro can only watch as the two returned to their class...

* * *

><p>The halls were strangely quiet. Even though classes were over at a time like that, students would still chat around and loiter in the halls. This time however, he didn't bump into a single soul on his way to a certain <em>'meeting'<em>.

"...'s... -ere..." A female voice came from the room.

Shaking his head, he slid the classroom door open.

"Sensei, glad you didn't forget!" the auburn-haired girl greeted with a warm smile.

Indeed, it was him- their P.E. teacher.

He stood tall, his height being almost more than twice that of the girl's. The male was around his mid 30s, had big burly muscles and was wearing a red and white tracksuit. His skin was quite tanned, perhaps due to hours of working out under the sun. He also had a naturally black flat-top hair cut which made him look a bit like some military man.

She was sitting on her usual place in the classroom.

"... Only you? Where's that brother of yours?" he grunted before sliding the door close and stepping in the room.

The man looked around, though everything seemed to be in place.

"... And I heard you talking earlier, who were you talking to?" he added, recalling hearing her voice just a while back.

Only the girl was present in the room though. He continued to walk toward her, looking vigilant, when she finally replied.

"Don't worry, we're the only ones here!" she chuckled. "Onii-chan has to do some errands, so he might not make it, he told me over the phone. That's what you must have heard."

"Hmph, really now?" he snorted bitterly, "You won't get anything out of me, because those friends of yours are guilty."

"Guilty of what?" she tilted her head.

"... Forget it. Just tell me what you need" he replied, suddenly sounding quite uneasy.

The smile on her face was starting to really creep him out.

"Well then!" Minako clapped her hands together before pulling out what seemed to be a piece of paper from her bag.

Upon closer inspection, it was a picture of her, along with other girls. All of them were wearing their P.E. uniform... it was the same one she confiscated from Junpei not long ago.

Minako slammed her palm on her desk, "Sensei, this picture, was taken during P.E. class... You know what that means?"

The man was taken aback. That was... out of nowhere...

It took a few seconds before he shifted his expression of surprise to an irritated glare. "This is..." he groaned, "First your friends stupidly accuse me of stealing... don't tell me you're accusing me of perversion this time...?"

"I never said anything like that" the girl casually replied, "If that was it, then these pictures wouldn't just circulate around school..." she paused, "Onii-chan and I did a bit of digging up, and we learned that someone's been selling them..."

"...And think it's me? You think I take pictures of my own students to sell them?" he rolled his eyes, "Let me tell you- you have an active imagination Arisato-san. I've never even heard about this. Just because I'm strict doesn't mean nothing would get past me" he shook his head arrogantly before continuing, "I was careless. I let some boy at his puberty slip through in my class. Don't worry, I'll make sure to get that perpetrator."

"I see..." she muttered to herself.

Minako grinned.

"Oh, then Sensei wasn't the one who took the pictures?"

"Yes, I told you already!" he replied, sounding annoyed.

"... Are you sure?" the girl pressed.

"I told you, it's some boy in your year!"

"Then, doesn't that mean you knew who did it?"

"Of course I don't-"

"You sounded so specific about _that boy_..." she cut his words short , speaking before he could finish. "This picture could have been taken by a girl... you even knew he was in our year no less" Minako crossed her arms over her chest, and as if thinking, she looked up the ceiling.

"Not to mention... haven't you only '_heard about this now'...? _Pretty strange how fast you made those assumptions" she continued. "So... probably, you knew who's been doing it, but you're just letting it go...?" She paused, turning her eyes back to the man, "Ergo, you gave _him_ permission to do it."

The man froze.

Before he managed to retract his statement, the girl suddenly cut in once more.

"Oh, by the way, we caught that guy yesterday, so I can confirm that he's really a second year" the girl said out loud.

"Hold it! I..." that man paused. For a moment, he looked as if he was about to break down, when a small trace of confidence suddenly drained back on his face.

"...Alright, I admit, I gave him permission... But it was because he told me he needed it for his schoolwork!" The man then planted his fist on his palm, "I'll make sure that student learns his lesson!"

"But in any way you look at it, allowing someone to take our pictures is wrong!" she pointed out. "Also, I should point out that you just lied about not knowing about it, yet you actually knew about it. If you had no ill intentions from the start, then you wouldn't have hidden it in the first place!"

"Well... I... He... Ngghh..." he wasn't able to give a retort.

Again, the girl slammed her palm on her desk, and with her other hand, she pointed at the man.

"This is your motive for your _'crimes'_!"

"W-what?!" the man almost jumped in surprise from her sudden outburst.

"Early of May, Onii-chan started gaining a certain reputation in school... for _'threatening__'_ those who as much as glance at me-" she sighed, as if remembering those moments. Admittedly, she's in no way proud of those... She shook those thoughts off her head before finally continuing, "-now, with that in consideration... what happens if he learns that someone's selling pictures of me around school? Definitely, he'd poke his nose around it... and given his connections with Mitsuru-senpai... then it would pose danger for you... am I right?"

The man simply clicked his tongue upon hearing her argument. He was about to speak, when she continued.

"At first, you just complained to Hidetoshi-kun about it... about how he 'bullies' other students, but he got away from it pretty quick- Which then led to the cigarette butt incident- I heard you talk about it when I was passing by the faculty room. You were trying to pin that on Onii-chan weren't you?"

He raised his brows, "Hah... I wasn't trying to pin that on him. I was sure he was the culprit given the facts!"

Minako rubbed her chin, "in the end, it wasn't him. The culprit revealed himself to Hidetoshi-kun with the promise to change."

"...?!" the adult who was sweating bullets was now left speechless.

Of course, he didn't know that the real culprit had admitted to his doings since Hidetoshi only spoke about it to Minato.

The adult lowered his head, "...what are you implying here?" he shot her a sharp glance. "I'll have you know, I could get you suspended- or even expelled for this."

"But I'm not breaking any rules that equal to suspension, or expulsion" she stated as a matter-of-factly. "We're just having a simple chat, aren't we?"

With a growl, he turned his back on the girl. He knew he had to get out before she manages to poke any more holes on him. Definitely, he didn't like where their conversation was going... and that look on her face... it seemed as if she was up to something...

"There's no way I'll go to all that trouble for something as small as those _'pictures'."_ he paused, "I don't know what you're up to, but you're doing this because you want something don't you?"

For sometime, she remained silent.

"... You were right. We didn't have evidence" suddenly, her tone sounded rather serious. "We can't prove that you received that money-fee from Chihiro that day... but to top it off, you wanted to involve me, Hidetoshi and Nii-chan, didn't you?"

"Haha... As suspected. So it all boils down to this..." The man sneered upon hearing her reply.

"We won't tell anyone about this as long as you admit to what you've done, return the money fee and promise that you won't touch Chihiro and Hidetoshi anymore."

For some reason, he looked rather confident as opposed to how he was earlier.

"..."

"So... you were eavesdropping that day..." The man bit his lip. "Arisato-san, I'm warning you, going against me may be the worst mistake of your life-"

Balling up his fist, he closed up to the girl and slammed it on her desk. Minako fell from her seat... A *clack* also followed.

"Owww... Ah!" the girl was rubbing her sore spot when she noticed her phone fell out of her pocket. She was about to pick it up, when the adult swiped it off.

"Huh? What's this?" he stared at her phone... "What's the meaning of this?!" he continued, pointing at the girl.

"Oh uhhm... I forgot to uhh... end my call-...!"

Before she finished, the man pulled her up by the wrist. Minako cringed in pain from his grip. Indeed, those muscles weren't just for show.

"I don't care if you're a girl...! DON'T SCREW WITH ME!"

"Stop-! Let Minako go!"

Their attention immediately turned toward the door. The auburn-haired girl also took the opportunity to pull away from the man.

"Sensei, please just admit it!" the newcomer continued.

"Chi-Chihiro...?" Minako stared at her wide-eyed.

The girl stood firm and straight. Her eyes were burning with determination as she stepped inside the room.

"Minako-san, I'm sorry you and Minato-kun had to go through with this just for us..." the bespectacled girl bowed her head, before turning back to the older man. "Sensei, I clearly remember what happened on that day. I handed the fee money to you directly! Stop pretending it didn't happen!"

Suddenly, silence.

Both Minako and the man were silenced by her sudden outburst... definitely, it was surprising _coming from her._

"That's enough."

At that moment, the deafening silence broke, as everyone's attention turned toward the one who spoke... she stood by the door, arms crossed... and definitely not pleased.

"K-kirijo...?" the teacher stared wide-eyed, surprised by her sudden appearance. He then turned to the other two girls, then back to Mitsuru, now with a smirk on his face. "Kirijo, wonderful timing! These two, they-"

"I am very disappointed in you!" she suddenly cut him off, "There's no use making up excuses, I've heard everything."

The man froze- her mere presence was intimidating, and what's more was that her evident anger seemed to be aimed at him. Even though she was a student herself, Mitsuru is still the heiress of the Kirijo group.

"W-what are you saying?" he said with a quivering voice.

"Senpai, and the others heard everything."

The voice came from behind the female.

It was the blue-haired boy.

He held up his phone on his hand, as if showing it to the man, "Everyone over at the tennis court listened to the conversation from the beginning... through Minako's phone."

"E-everyone?" the man gulped.

"Well, not really everyone... just some of the students who had nothing else to do... some of the faculty members... and Mitsuru-senpai, of course." he replied.

"B-but... Ah! E-evidence you don't-" he answered desperately.

"Enough." Mitsuru commanded firmly.

With that one word, the room quieted down.

"I've seen how Fushimi worked in the Student Council. She works diligently, and she never once complained. I'm sure she could never do what you are accusing her of..." the female trailed off, giving each person in the room a glance before finally setting her piercing eyes at the adult. "You on the other hand..."

* * *

><p>Thus, Mitsuru began enumerating the repercussions of what the man had done. Definitely, no one would want to be in his place at the moment. A short while later, the other teachers arrived and took him away with them; during that time, Minato took the time to slip in beside his twin.<p>

Her brother sighed while he scratched the back of his head.

"I'm glad it went well, I've been wanting to run over here... can we switch places next time?"

"You do realize that there won't be a next time... right?" The girl pouted, poking his forehead.

"... And I will make sure that you two have a good excuse for this, or so help me, I will execute both of you!"

Upon hearing those words, the twins slowly turned their heads and gulped. They felt chills behind their backs, hoping that they were only hearing things.

Sadly, they were not.

Right. She was still there wasn't she?

-Their President, Mitsuru Kirijo... and she definitely did not look pleased.

Her arms were crossed over her chest as she stood firmly in front of them. Not a single glint of smile can be seen on her face, instead she looked furious.

"I understand that your intentions were good, but you two could have gotten into trouble!" she said sternly, while the two cringed in fear.

"Uh... we didn't consider what Mitsuru-senpai would do to us..." Minako whispered to her twin.

He, on the other hand, couldn't even move a muscle.

"To think you'd do this... you should have just informed and I would have taken up this matter on my own hands!" the red-head said firmly. "I can't believe you coaxed your classmates, and even the faculty into this."

"President, wait!"

A voice came from afar. The three then turned to the owner of the voice who had just appeared in front of the classroom door. It was the discipline committee member.

"Hidetoshi?" Minako muttered.

The moment he had reached them, he paused to catch his breath. While he did, another one suddenly spoke up.

"Please don't punish them! It was me who started this!" she said in a surprisingly strong voice.

"Chihiro?" Minato blinked.

"N-no, just punish me instead. I was involved in this as well...!" the still huffing Hidetoshi added.

Mitsuru blinked.

The shy Chihiro and the law-abiding Hidetoshi were actually defending those two?

That was quite a surprise... Those twins... were they able to influence them in such a short time...? Come to think of it, she didn't expect the shy and quiet Chihiro to suddenly rush in over to Minako's place... and to top it off, speak in that way she did to the teacher...

The red-head gave a light chuckle. Somehow, her anger quelled.

"Hm. You have impressed me yet again..." The woman closed her eyes. She then turned to the other two with a gentle smile. "And don't worry, I never intended to give them harsh punishments. So you can relax on that matter."

The four smiled upon hearing her reply.

"... But I'm afraid I will have to withdraw the both of you from the Student Council. Think of it as your punishment" Misturu pointed out to the twins.

For a moment, they frowned. Sure, it was extra work for them, but hey, they can't say they didn't enjoy their stay. Though, they can't object to Mitsuru's decision as they were already at her mercy.

"We understand. Thank you, Senpai." Minato smiled.

"Yeah, thanks Misturu-senpai!" Minako added.

"Well, I'm glad you took it lightly. In any case, I now have a lot of work to do." she continued, turning her back on them. "... I'll make sure that _he_ will receive the punishment he deserves. Oh, and of course, that _other _perpetrator as well..." the female added before walking away.

* * *

><p>"Haaaa... I'm glad that's over..." the auburn-haired one cried as she slumped down on her desk. "I was really nervous during that last part..."<p>

"Well, I'm just surprised you two managed to pull this off at such a short time..." Hidetoshi suddenly added, "Especially the capture of the photogr-"

"We never caught him."

Minato suddenly cut him off. All eyes were on him.

"Eeeh... We were bluffing about that part as well... all we actually figured out was that someone's been selling those pictures... who would've thought the story I made up turned out true? I just started making up things along the way... you know, like those courtroom dramas on TV" Minako awkwardly replied in her brother's place. Though of course, while she did bluff about catching the culprit, the story wasn't really made up since she knew of that information from her original timeline.

"Y-you mean to say... you were just going along the flow that whole time?" he sweat dropped. "H-how could you talk about that so casually?"

"Hey! We did plan this out... to some extent!" Minako pouted.

At that moment, Chihiro fell on her knees and at that instant, the twins and Hidetoshi immediately ran over to her side.

"A-are you alright...?" said the auburn-haired girl in a worried tone.

"Do you need to go to the nurse's office? I'll take you there if you want..." her twin added, also bearing a worried expression.

"You dolt. You should know that the school nurse is known for giving students dubious concoctions... she'll end up worse than she is now!" Hidetoshi scolded, which had Minato scratching his head in embarrassment.

"Oh." he replied awkwardly.

"Pfft-" the bespectacled girl chuckled. Soon, she lifted her head which revealed her rather reddish face. She was crying.

The others stared at her, unsure if they should be worried or relieved.

Chihiro smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about me... I guess I was just so relieved that I..." again, more tears fell down her eyes as she she smiled.

All the other three smiled in relief.

*click*

A sudden flash caught them off-guard.

-It was Minato.

"What did you-" Hidetoshi's eyes darted toward the blue-haired boy's... camera...?

"I don't like my pictures being taken! Destroy that film at once!" he hissed.

"Um... yeah, Onii-chan, what was that about?" Minako tilted her head.

"I just thought this would make a good picture, so I took it with my camera." he told them as a matter-of-factly. "I've been saving money for this for the past few months, because I wanted to save memories during my stay here at Gekkoukan." Minato paused and turned to Hidetoshi. "... this is the first picture I ever took, so I can't honour your request... unless you really want it destroyed."

All the of them blushed.

Hidetoshi sighed, crossing his arms. "I suppose I could make an exception this once..." the discipline officer retorted, with his face still burning red.

Minako chuckled. "I never knew you were into that kind of thing~" the auburn-haired girl said, giving him a nudge.

"U-um... but d-doesn't that mean Minato-senpai wasn't included in the picture?" the bespectacled girl suddenly added.

Everyone turned to the photographer with a sly smirk.

"Alright. Alright... You don't have to look at me like that..." he said, scratching the back of his head.

.

.

.

*click*

* * *

><p><strong><em>Extra:<em>**

_Hidetoshi: Indeed, why didn't you just tell the President?_

_Minato: Didn't you see how scared he was out of his wits? That alone was precious._

_Hidetoshi: ... (D-devil... he's a devil...)_

* * *

><p><em>Mitsuru: So, why didn't you just speak to me about this? You of all people should know that I would have taken your claims seriously.<em>

_Minato: *still frozen*_

_Minako: W-well... we figured that this way, 'everyone' would immediately know the truth... and the rumors would die down faster... (can't tell her that it's mostly because we wanted to see that deathly look on Sensei's face ourselves...)_

* * *

><p><em>Hidetoshi: Now that Minato and Minako are not in the Student Council anymore, it's up to us to straighten up this school!<em>

_Chihiro: Y-yes! I'll make sure to live up to their expectations!_

_Hidetoshi: *grabs her hands* I'm glad you understand my vision, Chihiro!_

_Chihiro: ... *blushes*_

_Minako: *whispers* ... They've gotten close behind our backs lately..._

_Minato: ... Why are we spying on them?_

_Minako: *smirks* Jealous...?_

_Minato: I-I'm telling you, I'm not jealous..._

* * *

><p><strong><em>And this here ends the Student Council Arc! ^_^<em>**

**_... Yeah... this is SO SO SO SO SO LAAATE QAQ  
><em>**

**_Aaand I got more bad news... some of the 'finished' future chapters I made were deleted TAT_**

**_... Looks like I have to re-write them... welp... that's what I get for saving stuff here at FF TAT _**

**_And here I was hoping that the next updates would come in succession... but now that my files are gone, looks like updates will take longer than ever..._**

**_ANYWAY. Enough of that, no use over crying on spilled milk._**

**_So uhhh yes, the 'thing' he mentioned the old couple at the first part of the arc was the camera (if you remember that). We'll be seeing that thing some other time :P (not that it has an important significance plot-wise.../shot)_**

**_Hopefully, this chapter was not confusing? Basically, the picture thing? That was a red herring so that he'd lower his guard and reveal everything while their phone transmits the conversation XP_**

**_In any case, did anyone miss the Dark Hour? We'll be having it for the next chap ;)_**

**_... which will be out after another 8 months... or a year... or- who knows when- (JK~ it can't possibly take that long XD ... Maybe longer? Or maybe next week? Who knows...? =A= They will come though... they will come... and if it makes anyone feel better, Lovers' Full Moon II was safe from the file deletion OwOb)_**

**_Coming up next:_**

**_~Chapter 20: Lovers' Full Moon I & Chapter 21: Lovers' Full Moon II~_**

_"Y-you! You didn't peek d-did you?"_

_"Oh, look, I think I found your clothes."_

_"... and will you get off me?"_

**_-I do not own Persona or any of its characters-_**

* * *

><p><em>Gin Nanashi- <em>Haha thanks. We'll, you'd better brace yourself, we'll be seeing more nameless girls (maybe not necessarily those two...) in the future XD

_crymblade- _Hmm... Interesting take OwO I like hearing people's predictions :P Anyway, I'll get back to your comment when the time comes... (if I remember =w=)

_Yoshikunitsu- _Thanks :) Glad you liked it XD Hopefully, this ending doesn't disappoint ^^"

_FateOblivion- _Weeeell I've mostly been busy and lazy... and at some point, forgot that I had a fic XD It was because of the P3 Movie and the Persona announcements that reminded me XP

_Lemo- _Thanks 8D Yeah, it's pretty hard to find long ones... most I've been following hasn't been updated in years... T-T

_Arrow-chan3- Weeell they didn't beat him up... but he did get an off-screen execution from Mitsuru, that I assure you XP_


	22. Chapter 21: Minato's Lovers' Full Moon

**Chapter 21: Minato's Lovers' Full Moon**

**7/07/09-Tuesday, Dark Hour**

"It's located in Iwatodai... inside a building in Shirakawa Boulevard."

That moment, his faced darkened, covering his forehead with his palm, the blue-haired boy groaned as if feeling sick; he turned to the girl who had just re-called her Persona, "Fuuta... a-are you sure it's... in that place...?"

The girl tilted her head, ignoring the fact that he still doesn't seem to get her name. Looking around the two other girls did look quite uneasy as well, while Junpei somehow had that... perverted look on his face. Akihiko seemed to be all set and raring to go, in contrast to the others, but he's always like that. No surprise.

"Why, what's on Shirakawa Boulevard? I'm not familiar with that area..." she finally spoke with a tone of curiosity in her voice.

"That's where THOSE hotels are. You've heard about em' right Fuuka? Where people go to- OW!"

Junpei's words were immediately cut short thanks to the simultaneous smack behind his head, courtesy of their field leader and Yukari.

"Don't go teaching weird stuff to Fuuta." Minato sighed. It was however, still evident in his face that he too was uneasy about the whole idea of it.

"Alright! Alright! Geez... but Fuuka's not a kid anymore y'know? I'm sure she knows it... besides..." the capped male trailed off and wrapped his arm around the boy's neck, "why do you know about that place~?"

"Oh you know... I have to mark places that Minako shouldn't go to..." he replied casually, showing his friend a map of the island with areas marked with a red pen.

"... Forget I asked."

* * *

><p>It didn't take long before the group arrived at the designated area. Minato brought with him Yukari, Junpei and Akihiko, leaving Mitsuru with Fuuka.<p>

"I sense a Shadow on the 3rd floor... behind a large room... Please head there immediately!"

"Understood" the blue-haired boy nodded leading his team as directed by their new support.

The inside of the hotel had a strange mix of purplish-pink atmosphere, and combined with the Dark Hour's effects, it had an added hue of green and red. There were a lot of rooms along the hallway, though according to Fuuka, the room they needed to find was a large one, so they ignored the ones in the passing, setting sights on the third floor.

"Be careful, there are some Shadows waiting up ahead!" her voice rung in their heads as the group stepped on the 2nd floor.

Indeed, there were... around three of them- two Spurious Book and a Sky Balance to be exact. Thankfully, they haven't noticed the group of Persona-users approaching.

With a wave of his hand, the blue-haired boy motioned his teammates to ambush the Shadows.

Junpei lunged forward, delivering the first blow which knocked down one of the Shadows. His attack alerted the others, but before they can make a move, the second Shadow was pierced by Yukari's arrow, and the third met their senior's knuckles.

"Keep it up! They're still moving!" Minato followed up as he summoned his Evoker.

"Sooo... d'you think she'll be appearing this time again?" Junpei suddenly jumped beside him right after the boy had ordered his Persona to attack.

"Who?" he questioned, attention still on the battle. Minato didn't even spare his friend a glance.

"Y'know..." the boy gestured with his hand, of what looked like he was putting some mask on his face.

During that same moment, two of the Shadows were successfully brought down by Akihiko and Yukari. Familiar black smoke sizzled from where they once stood. With that, Minato relaxed, finally giving some attention to Junpei "Ah- umm... Crimson, right?"

"Yeah! Her~" the boy grinned. As if forgetting that there was still one more Shadow to beat, he had even casually lowered his weapon already.

"Maybe. Yeah. Probably." Minato replied with his usual uncaring tone.

"Hey- What's with that lack of enthusiasm? Don't you feel a least bit curious bout' her? C'mon!"

"The only thing I'm curious about right now is how you manage to _not_ shut your mouth Stupei" the brunette suddenly interjected, "Shouldn't you focus on tonight's Shadow instead of thinking about that?"

The two boys then glanced back at the battle. Akihiko seemed to be enjoying himself with the remaining Shadow. With a shrug, they turned back to the girl, internally deciding to let their senpai have his fun.

"Aww Yuka-tan, you don't have to be a spoiled sport... besides, this is relevant! I mean, what if it turns out that she already got the Full Moon Shadow before we get there?"

"Heh, in that case, I'll take the opportunity to ask her to join us! This time, I won't take a 'no' for an answer!" Akihiko was the one to speak this time, though his attention was still on his opponent... at least until after he set it away with an upper-cut, making it sizzle into nothingness like the rest.

Before, they continued their topic, their leader scanned the area left and right. Seems clear- was what he thought, wordlessly motioning them to follow him again.

"Senpai, not you too..." Yukari continued, as she caught up with their senior, "seriously, we don't even know her in-"

Before Yukari finished, Fuuka's voice suddenly rung in their heads once more, "everyone, I just received a strange reading! I-it's very faint... but I think I sense... some sort of Shadow...? No- two Persona-users! There are two other Persona-users in the area!"

"What? Two?" Akihiko blinked, stopping on his tracks.

The other three paused as well to better listen to Fuuka.

"Yes... two. I can't seem to pinpoint their exact location..." her voice trailed off at this point. There was a short pause, when her voice suddenly rung out sounding distressed. "Hmm...? What's this...- Oh no- Be careful- the- Sh-... in tha... ro..."

"Fuuka? Fuuka?!" Minato called out to the wavering voice, like a phone losing its signal.

"What happened? Were they attacked?!" the senior bit his lips.

"I don't think so... Fuuka-chan didn't sound like there was trouble... more like... it was cut off...?" Yukari said with a tone of uncertainty.

"Come to think of it, Mitsuru is also with her... so I guess we have no need to worry." the silver-haired male added, pumping his fist.

"Whew well, now that that's settled..." Junpei eyed the blue-haired boy mischievously as he casually grabbed his shoulder "congrats on finally getting her name right!"

"... Fuuta's?"

"... You're doing that on purpose aren't you?"

"In any case, where are we now?" the brunette blatantly ignored the two and looked forward, where it stood -a large door.

"This must be it!" Akihiko exclaimed excitedly, pushing the door open without second thoughts.

"Hold on- Senpai...! We should wait for Fuu-" their leader attempted to stop him, "... never mind" his shoulders slumped down seeing that it was too late.

"Hm... I guess that Shadow is supposed to be here...?" Akihiko mused, "... but I don't see-"

One by one, the teenagers entered the room.

*BANG-*

The door behind them suddenly shut itself close. It was their leader who first rushed back to the door, attempting to pry it open. The senior followed to help, along with Junpei a second later.

"Dammit- it's no use!" the eldest of the group hissed as he swung his fist at the door.

"Hey... everyone look over there!"

The voice of the sole female called their attention- her hand was pointed at the huge bed at the end of the room. The two boys blinked, trying to piece what she had seen, while their field leader immediately ran over to where she pointed and picked up the article on the bed-

"Hey those clothes are-!" Akihiko's eyes widened, though before he can finish, Junpei's voice cut him off-

"Isn't this that masked girl's?" on his hands, he held the familiar naginata of the elusive Crimson.

"Hey, didn't Fuuka-chan say earlier that she sensed Persona-users?" Yukari brought up, rubbing her chin.

"Hmm that mean's... ugh..." as Minato drew out his conclusions, he held his head. He felt that he was starting to lose balance... and to top it off, his vision started to become foggy...

*thump*

Yukari had fallen.

*thump*

And Junpei.

He tried to look over Akihiko's direction... but he couldn't take it anymore. He felt weak- and down he went along with the others...

* * *

><p><em>'Mmm...?'<em>

**_Embrace you desire... _****_I am the voice of your inner self... _****_Enjoy the moment... _****_That which cannot be felt is merely a dream... T_****_he present is all we have..._**

_'Shut up... what does that even mean...?'_

**_The future is but a fantasy, _****_memory, a fabrication... _****_Let your desire free you from your shackles... _****_such is my wish..._**

_'... I'm not giving in...__'_

**_Pleasure is what you truly want. _****_You stand before the doorway to bliss. _****_You cannot deny your instincts... _****_Embrace your desire..._**

_'Shut up... It's not the time for that!'_**_  
><em>**

At that moment, his eyes flung open as he shot out of... bed? Looking around, it seemed like he ended up in one of the hotel rooms... What just happened?

Minato held his head, " there was a voice and then..." he paused, and again, he looked around.

The place was quite fancy indeed. Minato mindlessly pressed his hand on the bed... "Wow... this is soft... Maybe I can ask Mitsuru-senpai to get us one of these for the dorm?" As he was contemplating, the showers suddenly stopped- which he didn't really notice was even there at first, since his mind was still pretty foggy at least until a moment ago. "Ngh..." Minato shook his head and stood up. Right. Weren't they supposed to fight the Full Moon Shadow? The boy then walked over toward the shower door hoping to find his teammates.

_*Creeaaak*_ -went the door. It all happened slowly, at the same time quickly. It was really hard to explain, perhaps because his mind was still very much out of it... but for some reason he could not comprehend, in front of him stood a Yukari wrapped in towel.

"Uhh... what was I...?" she mumbled as if finally getting her act together.

"Oh there you are" he greeted casually with his hand raised up.

She shrieked in surprise the moment she laid her eyes on him. "W-what are you-" again she shrieked seeing that the only thing preventing him from seeing her naked body was a piece of cloth. "D-D-DON'T LOOK-!"

Minato cringed from the pitch of her voice, covering his ears, "keep it down. You don't have to shout. Just get dressed already... if you have to."

The brunette could feel her face burn as she rushed back inside the shower room. It didn't take long before she returned, fully clothed.

"Ugh... if only I knew this would have happened, I would have never volunteered for this mission..." Yukari mumbled, eyes on the floor. Her cheeks were still obviously burning with embarrassment despite her attempt to hide it.

"Why are you so worked up over that?" The boy spoke nonchalantly as he gazed at the girl's still troubled face, "if it makes you feel any better, you don't have to worry about me feeling, seeing or saying anything about this since I have no interest in you at all-"

_*SMACK* *THUMP* _happened in that order. Before he knew it, a palm met him square in the face causing him to lose balance and fall flat on the floor. He could've sworn he heard a crack... though for one thing, he knew his nose felt quite numb.

"Oh... I can finally reach you! Can you two hear me?" Fuuka's voice suddenly resounded within their head, "hm? Did anything happen?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all" Yukari replied coldly, "Isn't that right, Minato-**kun**?"

"Nyeah... right. What she said- owwww..." the boy slowly got up on his feet, "um... and I think we need some tissue paper here though..." he added with a muffled voice, hand holding his bloodied nose.

* * *

><p>"Hey we're over-" Junpei put his greeting to halt the moment he laid eyes on Minato, "whoah- what happened to you?"<p>

"I... pressed onto an uncharted territory that I'm not supposed to enter. I think" he grumbled, pushing up the blood-covered tissue paper plugging his nose, "don't ask. I don't really understand myself."

"Oookay... I guess we do have things we'd rather forget..." Junpei shuddered as he looked over Akihiko's direction.

The usually energetic senior seemed to be not so energetic for some reason. Minato wondered what really happened after they got separated... he had an idea, but decided to shake the thought away. He felt that there are indeed some things he'd rather not know about.

"Ah good, everyone's back together" the familiar voice sounded within their heads again, "uhm... Minato-kun, are you sure you're alright now?"

"Yeah, pretty much-" the boy replied, glancing over at Yukari- who just snubbed him. He sighed, wondering why she's still so mad- he was honestly just trying to make her feel better. Really. He did. At least that what he thought, but she seemed to have taken it the wrong way. Maybe he's better off staying silent after all? Minato shook his head, hoping to forget about it and focus on their current ordeal- "Anyway Fuuta, you said the Shadow jammed you and took control of us? Is there anything we can do about that?"

"Hmm, hold on a sec..." the girl's voice resonated, leaving the group in awkward silence before finally hearing from her again, "I got it, it's the mirrors! They're giving off the same energy as the Shadow! Maybe if you break the mirrors..."

"I see. Got it" their leader nodded, "hear that everyone?"

The three gave him a nod of confirmation.

"Oh, and this time... please wait for my orders before acting, alright?" Minato continued, his comment obviously directed at Akihiko.

The silver-haired teen made a deep sigh, "yeah sorry about earlier, guess I got too enthusiastic about it..."

"Good" he smiled, "well then, let's go."

With that, the group marched on once again to continue their operation. For a moment, Minato remembered about the two other Persona-users that Fuuka mentioned a while earlier. He shook his head, pushing the thought at the back of his mind. For now, he wanted to focus on the operation. There's no way he'd let that kind of Shadow live, after all, what if it got away and gets its hands (if it has any) on Minako? Her experiencing the same thing he did that night was definitely something he wouldn't want to live with... and with that resolution, he pressed on.

* * *

><p><strong>707/09-Tuesday, earlier that same Dark Hour**

He swung his axe once.

The next moment, it instantly dissipated into the green night.

The man groaned and lifted his weapon, resting it on his shoulder. He surveyed the area and stared at the remains of the black mush which were once Shadows.

Each one hissed into a black smoke like boiling water, disappearing into thin air as if they never existed.

"Tch. Fucking bastards... They've been multiplying lately..." he snarled.

Suddenly, the teenager heard a strange sound. He was sure they were the sound of footsteps splashing through the puddles of blood. Was there someone close by? He thought. It was the Dark Hour, so it couldn't be a normal person. Perhaps a Persona-user? But what if it WAS an ordinary person? Then that would mean danger for the poor sap...

He sighed and scratched the back of his head before running toward the direction of the sound...

-Which led him to Shirakawa Boulevard, just right outside the so-called 'Love Hotel'.

He gritted his teeth as he gazed at the building with disgust.

Disturbingly enough, there were a lot of Apathy Syndrome incidents in that said area for the past few weeks. So even though he hated the thought of staying around, he felt the need to check and make sure no one was wandering out of their coffins...

"Dammit... This definitely ain't part of my job..."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Extra:<strong>_

_Mitsuru: Arisato, I'm not sure why would we need this..._

_Minato: Because- I liked the waterbed during the- er I mean, It would give us better sleep, thus enhancing motivation after waking up._

_Mitsuru: I see... that is quite a sound argument. I shall arrange their delivery as soon as-_

_Junpei & Akihiko: NO-! Motivation my ass, they'll just bring back memories! *shudders*_

* * *

><p><em>Minako: Yukari seems to be mad at you... did you have a fight?<em>

_Minato: I don't know. I don't really understand... I just told her that I have no interest in her to make her feel better... _

_Minako: In what kind of world would that make anyone feel better...?_

* * *

><p><em>Junpei: Hey- what's this red mark on the dorm? I can't read the note you put here...<em>

_Minato: Oh that? Your room. No girl should be put into the ordeal that is to enter that dump. _

_Junpei: ... Sometimes, I really can't tell if you're sadistic, serious or just plain oblivious..._

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><p><em><strong>Looks like we're six months early for an update, huzzah! (jk)<strong>_

_**To those who answered that Minato gets a nosebleed in the poll... well, congrats getting it right XD**_

_**He won't be sent to the hospital this time thought ;P -for once-**_

_**Speaking of polls, feel free to go check out the one up in my profile page! It's uhh... Minato's pairing. Cuz. Still undecided... kinda. Yeah...**_

_**Originally, I wasn't going to write about the S.E.E.S. for this Full Moon... It was just about Crimson and y'know... but yea~ Minato needs some love. And tissue paper for that nosebleed.**_

_**So yeah. Crimson's side of the story will appear next chapter.**_

_**Aaaand on a random note... HNNNG I AM SO EXCITED FOR PERSONA Q. EVERYONE SO CUTE AND HAVING FUN (which I bet is just masking all angst later on TAT). I'm actually already considering about making a spin-off for this fic in the PQ verse once I reach the cultural fest date here lol. Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on how much I'll like the game I suppose XD**_

_**-Persona 3 or any SMT series does not belong to me-**_

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><p><em><strong><em><strong>Oh wow- I didn't expect to get that much comments for a single chapter in such a short time OAO <strong>_**_

__Lemo - Why yes, yes I am =w= (or am I?)__

__ShunShunRikka-Ai - Sorry for the long wait ^^" Looking back, it seems that the previous chapter was almost practically done before I *kinda* disappeared... at first, I decided not to post it yet cause I was gonna add more, but after a long time of procrastinating... I forgot what I was gonna add and posted anyway after a few edits /shot XD And don't worry, development is about to happen... probably.__

__FateOblivion - Ahhh thanks... It's definitely far from the best, but I'm glad you think so __ /__ Np~ the movie's awesome ain't it? /dat smile at the end *w*__

__Arrow-chan3 - lol I did consider the 'beat him up' path... and get him beat twice even - by both Minato and Crimson... cause y'know, she's hiding that she's a Persona-user, so Minako would end up acting separately from Minato... and 'accidentally' have them deal justice on him TWICE -insert evil laugh here- but I think that would be kinda out of character for them... y'know, abuse their powers that way XP  
><em>_

__faded-lunar-sky - Thanks for the support~ __

__Gin Nanashi - Those omakes are usually scenes I intended to add, but couldn't find a place to insert in the chapters themselves, glad you liked them XD Oh, and that Hidetoshi reaction- I kinda picked it up from one of the P3 drama CDs *cough*whileIwasreseachinghispersonality*cough*... there are translations in youtube, go check them out if you haven't *w* ahhh... and yeah... those deleted files... QAQ I was actually looking forward to finishing the student council arc along with this chapter cause the chapters after this were done... and I was hoping for a multiple chapter updates with those T_T__

__X3 - Thanks, I will keep continuing -slowly... REALLY slowly-  
><em>_

__Uena - Your comment made my day~ I'm glad someone saw and mentioned the Ace Attorney reference... cause that chapter was indeed meant to be Ace Attorney-P3 crossover of sorts XD In fact, one of the initial plans was to make it a class trial so that they'd have witnesses (and Mitsuru as judge lol) and all... AND YES. THAT WAS PLAYING IN MY HEAD AS I WROTE THAT CHAPTER. I actually wanted to link youtube for the music for extra immersion... but I didn't know the title XP Ahhh and I feel honored that this fic managed to inspire someone to write-  
><em>_

__And uhhh... to those (if any) I forgot to reply to, thanks for commenting! ^_^__


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